Gauntlet Gallery
What is Cleon Peterson’s piece called “Heathens (Black)”
Summary
A stark black-ground screen print depicting a tangle of nude figures locked in brutal combat — white and black bodies writhing and clubbing one another above a pool of gold — rendered in Cleon Peterson's flat, high-contrast silhouette style. "Heathens (Black)" distills his core subject: the savage, tribal violence lurking beneath civilization, staged with the frozen, frieze-like clarity of ancient Greek vase painting.
Why It Matters
Heathens" is a concentrated example of what makes Peterson's work recognizable and collected: a reduction of human conflict to pure black, white and gold, where bodies become interchangeable aggressors and victims. The piece reads as both a contemporary commentary on mob brutality and a deliberate echo of antiquity's depictions of war and combat, linking Peterson to the long lineage of artists who used the human body in struggle to diagnose the present moment. Its limited run and signature palette make it a clean representative of his 2010s print output.
Collector Perspective
A 2017 screen print in a small edition of 24, hand-signed and numbered in pencil by the artist (signature visible lower right). The tight edition size places it among Peterson's scarcer paper editions — most of his open and standard releases run far larger — which supports its desirability. It sits within his mature body of black-ground "heathen"/combat works. Demand for Peterson on the secondary market is steady rather than speculative; condition and the low edition number are the main value drivers here.
Historical Context
Created in 2017, during the period when Peterson's reputation was cresting on the back of his "End of Empire" body of work and his high-profile collaborations with Shepard Fairey. The black/white/red/gold vocabulary and the classical combat staging seen here are central to that era, when his imagery of unchecked power and reciprocal violence resonated strongly against a turbulent political backdrop. "Heathens" belongs to this run of figural conflict prints that defined his late-2010s editions.
FAQ
What does this print depict?
A cluster of nude figures — white and black silhouettes — caught mid-fight, with one figure raising a club overhead, all set against a black field above a pool of gold. It depicts chaotic, tribal violence in Cleon Peterson's signature flat, high-contrast style.
What is the edition size?
The edition is 24.
Is it signed and numbered?
Yes. It is hand-signed in pencil by the artist (lower right) and numbered as part of the edition of 24.
What medium and palette is used?
It is a screen print in Peterson's reduced black, white and metallic gold palette.
Who is Cleon Peterson?
Cleon Peterson (b. 1973, Seattle) is an American artist known for stark, high-contrast scenes of violence, power and social conflict that draw on Greek vase painting, Hogarth and street art. He is a frequent collaborator of Shepard Fairey.
Related Works
About the Artist
Cleon Peterson (b. 1973, Seattle) is an American artist known for stark, high-contrast scenes of violence, power and social conflict, rendered in a flat, limited palette of black, white, red and gold. His chaotic compositions of fighting, clubbing and writhing figures expose the abuse of power and the brutality beneath civilization’s surface, drawing on classical Greek vase painting, Hogarth and street art. A frequent collaborator with Shepard Fairey, he shows internationally; his prints, sculptures and editions are widely collected in the urban-contemporary market.
Collecting Cleon Peterson at Gauntlet Gallery
Where can I buy authentic Cleon Peterson prints?
Gauntlet Gallery offers an extensive, authenticated inventory of Cleon Peterson prints and contemporary editions, with new drops added regularly. Browse the current collection at gauntlet.gallery.
How does Gauntlet Gallery ensure authenticity?
Gauntlet Gallery is built on curation, authenticity and transparency — every work is vetted and its provenance, edition details and condition are disclosed up front.
Does Gauntlet Gallery add new Cleon Peterson prints?
Yes. New drops are released regularly across Cleon Peterson and other leading artists; see gauntlet.gallery for the latest inventory.