Gauntlet Gallery
What is Cleon Peterson’s piece called “Blood & Soil I”
Summary
A stark two-figure screen print in Cleon Peterson's flat black, white and red palette: a hulking, uniformed aggressor kneels and swings a club overhead while pinning a pale, bent-back victim whose twisted body is marked with red wounds. The brutal asymmetry of an armed authority figure crushing a defenseless one is the central scene, distilling Peterson's career-long study of the abuse of power.
Why It Matters
Blood & Soil I" takes its title from "Blut und Boden," the Nazi nationalist slogan, which gives Peterson's recurring imagery of beating and domination an unmistakably political and contemporary edge. Made in 2018, amid a global resurgence of authoritarian and nationalist rhetoric, the print strips conflict down to its essentials — one body overpowering another — in the manner of Greek vase combat scenes and Hogarth's moral satire. It is a representative example of how Peterson uses a deliberately limited palette and flat, graphic figures to make cruelty feel cold, systemic and timeless rather than incidental.
Collector Perspective
A 2018 screen print from an edition of just 24, hand-signed in pencil and typically numbered, placing it among Peterson's scarcer paper editions, which more often run to 75-150. The tiny edition size and the explicit, politically loaded title make it a desirable example for collectors focused on his power-and-violence body of work rather than his lighter or collaborative pieces. As an early entry point into Peterson's market it sits below his large-scale paintings and sculptures, but the low edition count gives it more upside and trade interest than his common open or large-run prints.
Historical Context
Cleon Peterson (b. 1973, Seattle) rose to prominence in the 2010s with a graphic, high-contrast vocabulary of clubbing, fighting and writhing figures drawn from classical Greek vase painting, Hogarth and street art, and through frequent collaborations with Shepard Fairey. "Blood & Soil I" dates to 2018, the heart of his most overtly political period, when titles and imagery increasingly referenced fascist and nationalist violence. The work belongs to the same lineage as his "End of Empire" and power-themed series, depicting civilization's brutality through anonymous, mask-like figures locked in cycles of domination.
FAQ
What does Blood & Soil I depict?
A large uniformed figure kneeling and swinging a club overhead as he beats and pins a pale, bent-back victim whose body is marked with red wounds — Peterson's signature scene of an authority figure abusing power over a defenseless one.
What does the title refer to?
"Blood & Soil" translates the Nazi slogan "Blut und Boden," tying the print's violence to nationalist and authoritarian ideology rather than a generic brawl.
How large is the edition?
The edition is just 24, making it one of the scarcer screen prints in Peterson's catalog.
Is it signed and numbered?
Yes — it is a hand-pulled screen print, typically signed in pencil by the artist and numbered out of 24.
Who is Cleon Peterson?
Cleon Peterson (b. 1973, Seattle) is an American artist known for stark black, white and red scenes of violence, power and social conflict, drawing on Greek vase painting, Hogarth and street art, and known for collaborations with 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.