Gauntlet Gallery
What is Cleon Peterson’s piece called “LA Marathon Print (First Edition)”
Summary
A commemorative event poster Cleon Peterson designed for the 2010 LA Marathon's 25th anniversary, built from collaged red, black, white and halftone photographs of runners and the Los Angeles cityscape arranged into the bold typographic letters "LA" and the numeral "25." It is an outlier in Peterson's catalog — a clean, design-driven civic commission rather than one of his signature scenes of violence and abuse of power.
Why It Matters
The print is significant precisely because it is atypical: created the same year Peterson's reputation for brutal black-white-red conflict imagery was taking hold, this piece shows him working as a commercial graphic designer on a sanctioned civic event for Honda and the LA Marathon. The red/black/white palette and flat, high-contrast graphic sensibility tie back to his fine-art language, but the subject — masses of runners and the Hollywood/Los Angeles skyline — channels his interest in crowds and the city without the violence. As an early, low-edition, regionally specific commission, it is a documentary footnote in his trajectory and a crossover object between his commercial and fine-art output.
Collector Perspective
A small first edition of 29 screen prints, making it genuinely scarce in raw numbers, though demand is thinner than for Peterson's core violence-themed editions and End of Empire works that define his market. As an event poster rather than a gallery print, it appeals more to LA-marathon and completist collectors than to buyers chasing his signature imagery, so liquidity is modest. Verify whether a given example is signed and/or numbered, as event posters are not always hand-signed; that detail materially affects value. Best understood as an affordable, historically curious entry point rather than a blue-chip Peterson holding.
Historical Context
Produced in 2010 for the Los Angeles Marathon's 25th anniversary (the poster is dated March 21st, 2010 and presented by Honda with K-Swiss), this print dates to the period when Peterson, a Los Angeles-based artist and frequent Shepard Fairey collaborator, was emerging with his stark social-conflict imagery. The commission reflects the LA street-art and design milieu Peterson came up in, where fine artists routinely took on civic and commercial poster work.
FAQ
What does this print depict?
It is a graphic poster for the 2010 Los Angeles Marathon's 25th anniversary, collaging red, black and white photographs of runners and the LA/Hollywood skyline into the large letters "LA" and the numeral "25," dated March 21st, 2010 with Honda and LA Marathon branding.
How large is the edition?
The first edition is limited to 29 prints, making it a small and scarce run.
What medium is it?
It is a hand-pulled screen print.
Is it signed and numbered?
Edition details should be confirmed per example. As an event commission, it is not guaranteed to be hand-signed or numbered, so any signature/numbering should be verified before purchase.
Who is Cleon Peterson?
Cleon Peterson (b. 1973, Seattle) is a Los Angeles-based artist known for stark, high-contrast scenes of violence, power and social conflict in a black/white/red/gold palette, drawing on Greek vase painting, Hogarth and street art. He is a frequent Shepard Fairey collaborator; this marathon poster is an atypical, design-driven commission within his body of work.
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.