Gauntlet Gallery
What is Cleon Peterson’s piece called “Stare Into The Sun (Black And Gold)”
Summary
A wide, horizontal screen print in Cleon Peterson's signature flat black, white and gold palette, depicting a chaotic frieze of pale and dark nude figures locked in combat — striking, grappling, falling and writhing across a black field. The composition reads like a modern reworking of a classical battle frieze, distilling Peterson's career-long preoccupation with mob violence and the collapse of order into a single sprawling melee.
Why It Matters
Stare Into The Sun" is a strong example of Peterson's mature large-format work, where individual conflict is multiplied into an entire battlefield of interchangeable bodies. The black-and-gold colorway swaps his usual aggressive red accents for gold, lending the brutality an ominous, almost ceremonial or gilded quality — power and violence rendered as something monumental and timeless rather than merely current. The dense, edge-to-edge choreography of attacking and collapsing figures recalls the Greek vase painting and frieze traditions Peterson openly draws on, restating his core thesis: that beneath the surface of civilization lies relentless, cyclical brutality.
Collector Perspective
A 2019 screen print in a tight edition of just 22, this is a low-run, large-scale Peterson that sits well below the size of his more common 100–150 piece editions. The small edition makes it materially scarcer than most of his prints on the secondary market, and the panoramic horizontal format gives it real wall presence. The black-and-gold variant is a desirable colorway, typically commanding a premium over standard releases. Buyers should confirm signature, numbering, and condition of the gold ink and large black field, which can show handling. A focused collector piece rather than an entry-level print.
Historical Context
Produced in 2019, this print belongs to the period in which Cleon Peterson (b. 1973, Seattle) had fully established his stark visual language of power, conflict and social violence. Working in flat planes of black, white, red and gold and borrowing the silhouetted figuration of ancient Greek vase painting alongside the moralizing crowd scenes of Hogarth, Peterson built a body of work — and a string of Shepard Fairey collaborations — around the abuse of power and the violence underlying civilization. Large multi-figure battle compositions like this one are central to that project, and the black-and-gold colorway reflects his recurring use of gold to give brutality a gilded, monumental cast.
FAQ
What does this print depict?
A panoramic mass of nude figures — some white, some black — fighting, striking and collapsing across a black background in Peterson's flat, high-contrast style, evoking a classical battle frieze of mob violence.
What is the edition size?
The edition is just 22, making it a scarce, low-run release compared with Peterson's larger standard editions.
Is it signed and numbered?
Peterson's editions are typically hand-signed and numbered by the artist; confirm the pencil signature and numbering with the seller before purchase.
What medium and colorway is this?
It is a screen print from 2019, issued in the black-and-gold colorway, which uses gold ink in place of Peterson's more common red accents.
Who is Cleon Peterson?
Cleon Peterson (b. 1973, Seattle) is an American artist known for stark black, white, red and gold scenes of violence, power and social conflict, drawing on Greek vase painting, Hogarth 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.