Gauntlet Gallery
What is Cleon Peterson’s piece called “The Brinksman II”
Summary
A dense, all-over melee of identical black figures in white briefs beating one another with batons, clubs and bottles against a bare white ground — a signature Cleon Peterson tableau of mob violence rendered in his flat, stark black-on-white woodcut-style language. The Brinksman II compresses the brutality of human conflict into a single chaotic scrum where attacker and victim are indistinguishable, typical of his early-2010s body of work exposing the savagery beneath social order.
Why It Matters
This is Peterson at his most elemental: no color, no setting, no hierarchy — just bodies locked in mutual assault. By stripping the scene to silhouetted figures and a void background, he turns a specific brawl into a universal statement about violence as a self-perpetuating cycle, where everyone is simultaneously aggressor and target. The composition openly quotes the figural friezes of classical Greek vase painting and the moral chaos of Hogarth, lineage Peterson would push to monumental scale in his later End of Empire and large-format works. Pieces from 2011 mark the period when his graphic vocabulary — the kneeling, clubbing, writhing figures and the high-contrast black/white palette — fully crystallized.
Collector Perspective
An early Peterson work from 2011 in a tight edition of just 23, which places it among his scarcer prints — most of his sought-after editions run larger. Peterson typically hand-signs and numbers his editions in pencil in the lower margin; collectors should confirm the signature and numbering and request condition notes on the wide white borders, which show easily. The small edition size and early date give it appeal to dedicated Peterson collectors over casual buyers, though the strictly black-and-white palette (no red or gold) makes it less immediately iconic than his tricolor works. Realistic positioning: a desirable but specialist piece, valued more for rarity and period than for being a flagship image.
Historical Context
Made in 2011, this print comes from the formative stretch when Peterson, working out of Los Angeles, was establishing the violent, high-contrast figurative style that would define his career and lead to collaborations with Shepard Fairey and major mural and gallery projects later in the decade. The all-over composition of brawling figures connects directly to his ongoing preoccupation with the abuse of power and the brutality of crowds, themes he draws from Greek antiquity, William Hogarth and street art.
FAQ
What does The Brinksman II depict?
It shows a packed scene of nearly identical black figures in white briefs attacking each other with batons, clubs and bottles on a blank white ground — a chaotic mob brawl where every figure is both aggressor and victim.
How large is the edition?
The edition size is 23, making it one of Cleon Peterson's scarcer prints.
Is it signed and numbered?
Peterson typically signs and numbers his editions by hand in pencil in the lower margin. Buyers should confirm the pencil signature and edition number on the specific impression.
What is the medium?
The medium is not documented for this piece. Visually it reads as a flat black-and-white graphic print in Peterson's woodcut-like style; confirm the exact process with the seller.
Who is Cleon Peterson?
Cleon Peterson (b. 1973, Seattle) is a Los Angeles–based artist known for stark black, white, red and gold scenes of violence, power and social conflict that draw on Greek vase painting, Hogarth and street art. He is 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.