Gauntlet Gallery
What is Cleon Peterson’s piece called “To Sway Minds”
Summary
Two towering black silhouetted figures bludgeon and bind a smaller gold-toned nude figure who collapses to the ground at center, one assailant raising a club overhead while the other lowers a noose or loop of rope. Rendered in Cleon Peterson's signature flat black, gold and white palette, it distills his career-long subject of the powerful brutalizing the powerless into a single act of mob coercion.
Why It Matters
The title "To Sway Minds" gives an ironic frame to a scene of pure physical domination: persuasion enacted not through argument but through the club and the noose. It is a tight, two-against-one composition that strips Peterson's recurring themes of authority, violence and submission down to their cruelest essentials, with the gilded victim spotlit against the dark aggressors. The classical, friezelike staging and the gold ink connect it to Peterson's ongoing borrowing from Greek vase painting and the iconography of empire and conquest, while reading just as clearly as a comment on coercion and propaganda in the present.
Collector Perspective
A 2018 screen print in a small edition of 24, typically hand-signed and numbered in pencil by the artist. The very low edition size puts it well below Peterson's more common runs of 100-plus, making it one of the scarcer prints in his catalog and attractive to collectors who want a less-encountered example. As a smaller-format three-color work it sits below the large multi-color and gold-heavy pieces in price, but the tiny edition supports demand. Confirm signature, numbering and condition (Peterson's deckle-edged white grounds show handling and corner wear easily).
Historical Context
Cleon Peterson (b. 1973, Seattle) emerged from skate and street-art culture to become known for stark scenes of violence and the abuse of power, working in a flattened black/white/red/gold language indebted to Greek vase painting, Hogarth and graphic design. By 2018 he was exhibiting internationally and collaborating frequently with Shepard Fairey, and his prints from this period repeatedly stage one-sided beatings, mobs and executions as allegories of authority unchecked. "To Sway Minds" belongs to this mature run of editioned screen prints exploring coercion and control.
FAQ
What does this print depict?
Two large black figures attacking a smaller gold-colored nude figure who is collapsing at the center; one raises a club while the other holds a loop of rope or noose, a scene of two-against-one coercion.
What is the edition size?
The edition size is 24, a notably small run for Cleon Peterson.
Is it signed and numbered?
Prints in these editions are typically hand-signed and numbered in pencil by the artist; confirm with the specific example's photos.
What medium and year is it?
It is a screen print from 2018.
Who is Cleon Peterson?
A Seattle-born (b. 1973) artist known for stark high-contrast scenes of violence and power drawn from Greek vase painting and street art, and a frequent Shepard Fairey collaborator.
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.