Gauntlet Gallery
What is Cleon Peterson’s piece called “So It Goes (Throw (Timed Edition))”
Summary
A woven throw rendering a towering mushroom-cloud nuclear explosion in Cleon Peterson's stark black, white and gray palette, with a single lone silhouetted figure standing at the shoreline below watching the apocalyptic blast. The composition translates Peterson's themes of catastrophic violence and the brutality of power into a domestic textile object, the title "So It Goes" echoing Vonnegut's resigned refrain on death and atrocity.
Why It Matters
The work distills Peterson's career-long preoccupation with violence, annihilation and the abuse of power into a single, instantly legible image: the nuclear mushroom cloud, the ultimate emblem of mass death. By siting a tiny, helpless human silhouette against the overwhelming blast, Peterson stages the individual's powerlessness before institutional and military force, a theme that runs through his End of Empire and protest work. Producing it as a woven throw rather than a print pushes his confrontational imagery into the home, collapsing the distance between high-stakes political horror and everyday domestic life, an unsettling move characteristic of his collaborations and editioned objects.
Collector Perspective
This is a timed-edition woven throw limited to 62 pieces, a small run that makes it considerably scarcer than Peterson's open or large-edition screen prints. As a textile object rather than a paper work on the wall, it sits in a niche corner of his market: appealing to completist collectors and those drawn to his rarer editioned objects, but with thinner secondary-market comps than his core prints. Buyers should confirm signing/numbering and any accompanying documentation, as woven throws are frequently issued unsigned with edition paperwork rather than a hand signature. Condition for textiles centers on the weave, fringe and any fading.
Historical Context
Released in 2025 as a timed edition, the throw belongs to the recent phase of Peterson's practice in which his black-white-red iconography of conflict and power has expanded beyond prints into sculptures, decks and home objects. The mushroom-cloud subject connects to his ongoing meditation on empire, war and societal collapse, while the "So It Goes" title borrows Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five refrain, a literary marker of fatalism in the face of mass death that aligns with Peterson's bleak worldview.
FAQ
What does this piece depict?
A large mushroom-cloud nuclear explosion rising over a horizon, with a single small silhouetted human figure standing at the shore below, watching, all rendered in Cleon Peterson's flat black, white and gray palette.
What is the edition size?
It is a timed edition limited to 62 pieces.
Is it a print?
No. It is a woven throw (textile/tapestry blanket), not a paper print, with visible weave and fringed edges. The exact production medium is not specified beyond being a woven edition.
Is it signed and numbered?
Edition documentation should accompany the piece; woven throws like this are often issued with a certificate or numbering rather than a hand signature. Confirm signing details with the seller.
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 drawing on Greek vase painting, Hogarth and street art. He 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.