Gauntlet Gallery
What is Cleon Peterson’s piece called “Destroy America (Red)”
Summary
A flat, black-on-red screen print showing a headless, faceless figure in a black business suit towering over the words "DESTROY" above and "AMERICA" below; in one hand it holds a fat money bag stamped with a dollar sign, in the other it crushes the Earth, with smoke rising and a small skull motif lurking in the shadow at the figure's feet. It is a characteristically blunt Cleon Peterson allegory of corporate and political greed strangling the planet, translating his usual hand-to-hand brutality into the language of suited, institutional power.
Why It Matters
Released in 2020 amid a fraught American election year and global crisis, Destroy America (Red) distills Peterson's career-long subject — the abuse of power and the violence beneath civilized order — into a single iconic figure: faceless authority weighing money against the world and choosing money. The reduction to a stark black silhouette on red, the propaganda-poster typography, and the buried death's-head make it one of his most legible, directly political images, closer to agitprop than to his crowd scenes of mob violence. It sits squarely in the lineage of his Shepard Fairey-adjacent street-poster sensibility while pushing the message toward overt critique of capitalism and empire.
Collector Perspective
This is a small, tightly editioned screen print — an edition of just 24 — which puts it among the scarcer Peterson prints, well below his more common runs of 100-plus. Peterson screen prints in this format are typically hand-signed and numbered by the artist; buyers should confirm signature and numbering with the seller and look for a matching certificate where available. The bold red palette and overt anti-capitalist message make it one of the more recognizable and pointed images in his print catalog, which supports steady collector demand. As a sub-25 edition it should hold value better than open or large-edition pieces, though Peterson's market remains a tier below blue-chip street-art names, so expect moderate liquidity rather than instant resale.
Historical Context
Made in 2020, the print belongs to Peterson's mature period, when his flat black/white/red/gold vocabulary and classical-frieze influences had become instantly identifiable. The year's political turmoil, the U.S. presidential contest, and global crisis fed a wave of overtly message-driven art, and Destroy America (Red) channels that moment into a poster-like indictment of money versus the world. It continues the artist's ongoing interrogation of power, authority and the brutality underwriting modern society, here aimed explicitly at American capital and its global cost.
FAQ
What does this print depict?
A headless, faceless figure in a black suit holding a dollar-sign money bag in one hand and crushing the Earth in the other, framed by the words DESTROY (top) and AMERICA (bottom), with smoke rising and a small skull motif in the shadow below — an allegory of corporate and political greed destroying the planet.
What is the edition size?
The edition is limited to 24, making it one of the scarcer prints in Cleon Peterson's catalog.
Is it signed and numbered?
Prints in this format are typically hand-signed and numbered by the artist. Buyers should confirm the signature, numbering, and any accompanying certificate of authenticity directly with the seller.
What is the medium?
It is a hand-pulled screen print, produced in Peterson's signature flat, high-contrast black-on-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 in black, white, red and gold. 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.