Gauntlet Gallery
What is Cleon Peterson’s piece called “Between The Sun And Moon 2 (White)”
Summary
A stark black-and-white screen print depicting two interlocked nude figures: a massive black-bodied man crouched and lunging forward, gripping a blade, while a pale grey female figure with flowing hair recoils beneath and beside him. Rendered in Peterson's signature flat, high-contrast silhouettes and clean white-line detailing, it distills his ongoing study of domination, predation and the violence woven through human relationships.
Why It Matters
The print compresses Cleon Peterson's central obsessions—power, aggression and the body as a battleground—into a single confrontational pairing. By stripping the scene to two figures and an absolute black/white/grey palette, Peterson channels the visual grammar of ancient Greek vase painting and Hogarthian moral allegory while keeping the violence brutally legible. The opposition of the looming black aggressor and the lighter, evasive figure reads as both intimate and predatory, making it one of the more charged two-figure compositions in his graphic output of this period.
Collector Perspective
This is a tightly limited screen print with an edition size of only 12, which puts it well below Peterson's more common runs of 100–150 and into genuinely scarce territory. Peterson editions are typically hand-signed and numbered in pencil by the artist, as appears to be the case here with the lower-right signature and lower-left numbering. As a 2021 print in his recognizable monochrome mode, it sits in the desirable, hard-to-source tier of his market—small editions like this trade infrequently and command a premium over his larger color editions when they surface, though the tiny supply means liquidity can be uneven.
Historical Context
Created in 2021, this work belongs to Cleon Peterson's mature period, after his profile rose through collaborations with Shepard Fairey and a string of solo exhibitions. The "Between The Sun And Moon" titling and the reduced black/white/grey palette align with a strand of his output that leans toward mythic, almost allegorical pairings rather than the dense mob scenes of his earlier "End of Empire" work, drawing openly on classical Greek figuration and the long tradition of art depicting conflict between opposing forces.
FAQ
What does this print depict?
Two nude figures locked together: a large black-silhouetted man crouching and lunging with a blade in hand, and a pale grey female figure with flowing hair recoiling beside and beneath him—a confrontation reading as both intimate and predatory.
How large is the edition?
The edition size is just 12, making it one of Peterson's genuinely scarce small-run prints.
Is it signed and numbered?
Peterson editions are typically hand-signed and numbered in pencil by the artist; this impression shows a pencil signature at lower right and an edition number at lower left.
What medium and series is it?
It is a screen print from 2021 titled 'Between The Sun And Moon 2 (White),' executed in Peterson's signature flat, high-contrast black/white/grey style.
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 that draw 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.