Gauntlet Gallery
What is Cleon Peterson’s piece called “Forest 1”
Summary
Forest 1 depicts two uniformed officers in peaked caps and black-and-red jackets seizing a central civilian figure, one swinging a raised baton while the victim, mouth open mid-scream, clutches a bleeding wound. Rendered in Cleon Peterson's signature flat black, white, pink and red palette against a mottled camouflage-like ground, it is an early (2010) statement of the police-brutality and abuse-of-authority themes that define his body of work.
Why It Matters
This print crystallizes the core preoccupation of Peterson's entire practice: the violence the powerful inflict on the vulnerable. The uniformed aggressors, batons raised, and the screaming civilian being dragged and beaten read as a direct indictment of state and police authority — a subject that would only grow more resonant in the years following. As an early 2010 work, it shows Peterson's graphic vocabulary already fully formed: the high-contrast flat figures, the limited palette, the comic-book violence drawn from classical vase painting and Hogarth. It documents the origin point of the visual language that made him a sought-after political print artist.
Collector Perspective
An early Cleon Peterson screen print from 2010, predating his wider market recognition and his high-profile Shepard Fairey collaborations. Edition size is not confirmed here, so verify the specific numbering, signature and any chop or stamp against the certificate or verso before purchase. Early-period Peterson works from this era are comparatively uncommon on the secondary market relative to his later, larger editions, which can make well-documented examples appealing to collectors building a chronological holding. Treat any valuation as conditional on confirming edition details, condition and provenance.
Historical Context
Produced in 2010, Forest 1 sits at the front end of Cleon Peterson's career, in the period when the Seattle-born artist was establishing the brutal, high-contrast graphic style — figures locked in conflict, a stripped palette, a flatness borrowed from Greek vase painting and street art — that would become his signature. Its subject of uniformed authority figures assaulting a civilian anticipates the power-and-abuse themes he would pursue throughout the decade in works like the End of Empire series.
FAQ
What does Forest 1 depict?
Two uniformed officers in peaked caps grab and beat a central civilian figure — one swings a raised baton while the screaming victim clutches a bleeding wound — staged against a mottled pink-and-black background. It reads as a scene of police or state brutality and abuse of power.
What is the medium?
It is a screen print, executed in Cleon Peterson's flat black, white, pink and red palette.
What year is it from?
2010, an early work in Peterson's career.
What is the edition size?
The edition size is not confirmed in our records. Buyers should verify the exact run, signature and numbering against the artist's certificate or the verso of the print before purchase.
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 in a black/white/red/gold palette. He draws on classical Greek vase painting, Hogarth and street art, and 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.