Gauntlet Gallery
What is Cleon Peterson’s piece called “The Ends Justify The Means”
Summary
A stark black-white-red screen print in which a cluster of dark, hooded and uniformed aggressors pin down and assault sprawling red nude figures, one raising a club overhead to strike. The composition is pure Cleon Peterson — flat, interlocking bodies in his signature high-contrast palette, depicting domination and the brutality of unchecked power.
Why It Matters
The title cuts straight to Peterson's central theme: the moral rationalization of cruelty. Here the perpetrators are blacked-out, faceless authority figures, their victims rendered in vulnerable red, sprawled and overpowered — a tableau of mob violence and abuse that channels both classical Greek vase combat scenes and the social anger of street art. As a tight 2019 edition it distills the violence-and-power vocabulary that has made Peterson one of the most recognizable voices in contemporary political figuration.
Collector Perspective
A 2019 screen print in a small edition of 28, hand-signed and numbered in pencil along the lower edge. The minuscule edition size puts it well above Peterson's larger open-palette releases in scarcity, and the explicit assault imagery plus the loaded title make it a strong example of his most collected subject matter. Expect it to trade in the upper band of his print market when it surfaces; with only 28 copies, secondary-market appearances are infrequent. Condition of the wide white margins and crispness of the signature are the key value drivers.
Historical Context
Produced in 2019, at the height of Peterson's mature period following his breakout End of Empire body of work and his ongoing collaborations with Shepard Fairey. The print belongs to the artist's continuing investigation of power, mob violence and the abuse of authority — themes he renders in the flat black/white/red language drawn from antiquity and graphic protest art.
FAQ
What does this print depict?
A group of dark, faceless authority figures overpowering and assaulting two sprawling red nude figures, with one aggressor raising a club to strike — a scene of mob violence and the abuse of power, the central theme behind the title.
How large is the edition?
The edition is limited to 28 prints, making it one of Cleon Peterson's scarcer releases.
Is it signed and numbered?
Yes. Like Peterson's editions generally, it is hand-signed and numbered in pencil by the artist.
What medium and year?
It is a screen print produced in 2019, executed in his signature flat black, white and red 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. He draws on classical Greek vase painting, Hogarth and street art, and is a frequent collaborator 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.