Gauntlet Gallery
What is Cleon Peterson’s piece called “World On Fire (Large Format - Black)”
Summary
A solitary muscular red nude crouches against a black void, hoisting a heavy stone or boulder over one shoulder as a jagged white blast erupts behind him — a single-figure distillation of Cleon Peterson's recurring imagery of brute force and civilization's violence. Rendered in his signature flat red/white/black palette with white linework carving out the anatomy, it reads like a fragment off one of his End of Empire Greek vases blown up to large format.
Why It Matters
World On Fire condenses Peterson's central obsessions — aggression, dominance and the figure as an instrument of harm — into one isolated body rather than the brawling mobs of his crowd scenes, which makes the menace feel more elemental and iconic. The stone-wielding pose nods to classical statuary and Greek vase combat while the explosive white burst pushes it toward apocalyptic register, tying the work to the artist's broader project of exposing the brutality beneath order. The large-format scale and stark composition make it one of his more graphically commanding single-figure prints.
Collector Perspective
A 2021 screen print in an edition of 48, this is a genuinely small run for Peterson and sits at the scarcer end of his print output, well below his more common 100-plus editions. The large format gives it strong wall presence, which tends to support demand among collectors who already own his smaller works. Expect it to be hand-signed and numbered per his standard practice; condition and flatness matter at this size. As a tighter edition from a sought-after artist, it carries better scarcity fundamentals than his open or large-run releases, though Peterson's secondary market is thinner and more variable than blue-chip names.
Historical Context
Created in 2021, this print comes from the mature phase of Peterson's career, after his profile rose through high-profile Shepard Fairey collaborations and his End of Empire body of work. By this point his visual language — flat figures in red, white, black and gold drawn from Greek vase painting, Hogarth and street art — was fully established, and large-format single-figure prints like this one extended that vocabulary to a more monumental, poster-like scale.
FAQ
What does World On Fire (Large Format - Black) depict?
A single muscular red male nude crouched against a flat black background, lifting a large stone or boulder over his shoulder while a jagged white blast radiates behind him — an image of brute force and impending violence rendered in Peterson's stark graphic style.
What is the edition size?
The edition is 48, a relatively small run for Cleon Peterson.
Is it signed and numbered?
Cleon Peterson editions are typically hand-signed and numbered by the artist; buyers should confirm the signature and edition number on the specific copy.
What medium and format is it?
It is a screen print issued in a large format, part of the World On Fire release in its black colorway.
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 collaborator of 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.