Gauntlet Gallery
What is Cleon Peterson’s piece called “The Spider & The Fly (Red & Black)”
Summary
A blood-red spider rendered with a screaming human skull-face sits at the center of its grey web, surrounded by six red flies, beneath the block-letter title "THE SPIDER & THE FLY." The image distills Cleon Peterson's core preoccupation — the predator-and-prey logic of power — into a single stark emblem of the strong consuming the weak.
Why It Matters
The print strips Peterson's usual mob scenes of clubbing, brawling figures down to one ruthless metaphor: a monstrous spider with a human death's-head face, fangs dripping, presiding over a web of trapped flies. It is a clean, almost heraldic statement of his thesis that civilization runs on domination — the apex predator wearing a human skull, the victims reduced to anonymous prey. The flat black-grey-red palette and bold symmetry give it the iconic, sign-like punch that has made Peterson's prints so collectible, while the fable framing ("The Spider and the Fly") lends it a moralizing, almost Aesopian weight consistent with his interest in violence, death and the abuse of power.
Collector Perspective
A 2020 screen print in a small edition of 24, typically hand-signed and numbered by the artist in the lower margin (this impression shows a pencil signature at lower right and an edition notation at lower left). The very low edition size makes it considerably scarcer than Peterson's more common runs of 100-plus, which gives it appeal to focused collectors, though the trade-off is a thinner secondary-market record and fewer public comps to anchor pricing. It sits as a single, graphically strong standalone image rather than part of a large named series — desirable as a clean, wall-ready emblem of his death-and-power iconography.
Historical Context
Made in 2020, this print comes from the mature phase of Cleon Peterson's (b. 1973, Seattle) print practice, by which point his flat black/white/red iconography of violence, power and social conflict — drawn from Greek vase painting, Hogarth and street art, and developed alongside frequent collaborations with Shepard Fairey — was fully established. The spider-and-fly motif extends his recurring meditation on predator and prey and the brutality beneath civilization into a compact, fable-titled emblem, released in a tight edition of just 24.
FAQ
What does this print depict?
A large blood-red spider with a screaming human skull for a face and dripping fangs, sitting at the center of a grey spiderweb surrounded by six red flies, under the title THE SPIDER & THE FLY.
How large is the edition?
The edition size is 24, making it a notably scarce run by Peterson's standards.
Is it signed and numbered?
Yes — impressions are typically hand-signed in pencil and numbered in the lower margin; this example shows a signature at lower right and an edition number at lower left.
What is the medium?
It is a screen print (silkscreen) on paper, produced in 2020.
Who is Cleon Peterson?
Cleon Peterson (b. 1973, Seattle) is an American artist known for stark, high-contrast black/white/red scenes of violence, power and social conflict that expose the abuse of power and the brutality beneath civilization. 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.