Gauntlet Gallery
What is Cleon Peterson’s piece called “Between The Sun And Moon (White)”
Summary
A stark black-and-white screen print showing a hunched, grimacing black figure carrying or hauling away a limp, ghost-gray body slung against its torso — a scene of abduction and domination rendered in Cleon Peterson's flat, high-contrast vocabulary of one aggressor and one victim. It distills the central preoccupation of Peterson's work: the predatory exercise of power and the brutality lurking beneath civilized life.
Why It Matters
The composition strips conflict down to its essential terms — a single dominant body bearing off a defeated one — echoing the abduction and combat scenes of classical Greek vase painting that Peterson repeatedly mines. The reduced two-tone palette (black on white with the victim ghosted in gray) makes the image read instantly as a pictograph of cruelty, the directness that has made Peterson one of the most recognizable voices in contemporary figurative print culture. As a small, focused edition it represents the artist working in his most pared-back, graphic mode, where a single gesture stands in for an entire account of power and submission.
Collector Perspective
A 2021 screen print in a tight edition of just 16, hand-signed and numbered by the artist. This is the white colorway of a paired release (a black/dark variant typically exists alongside it), and the very small edition size puts it well below Peterson's more common 100–150 run prints, making it one of the scarcer entries among his works on paper. It sits in the desirable zone for collectors who want the recognizable Peterson aggressor-and-victim imagery without the cost of an original painting; condition, full margins, and a clean signature matter most to value. Market position is solid rather than blue-chip — strong demand within the urban/contemporary print collector base.
Historical Context
Created in 2021, this print belongs to Peterson's mature period, by which point his black-white-red-gold scenes of fighting, clubbing and writhing figures had become a fixed signature. Drawing on Greek vase painting, Hogarth's moralizing narratives and a street-art directness, Peterson uses the abduction motif here as a timeless emblem of power abused. The small two-color edition reflects his ongoing practice of issuing tightly limited, paired light/dark variants alongside his larger releases.
FAQ
What does this print depict?
A hunched, grimacing black figure carries off a limp gray body slung against its torso — an abduction or domination scene reduced to a single aggressor and a single victim, a recurring image of power and brutality in Cleon Peterson's work.
What is the edition size?
The edition is just 16, making this one of the scarcer works on paper in Peterson's catalog.
Is it signed and numbered?
Yes. Like Peterson's other limited editions, it is hand-signed and numbered by the artist, typically in pencil in the lower margin.
What medium and series is this?
It is a screen print from 2021, titled Between The Sun And Moon (White) — the white colorway of a paired light/dark release.
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. He draws on 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.