Gauntlet Gallery
What is Cleon Peterson’s piece called “The Reflection (Red)”
Summary
The Reflection (Red) is an atypical, landscape-format Cleon Peterson screen print: a panoramic range of jagged mountains rendered in flat black against a blood-red sky and snowfields, with a single tiny solitary figure standing dead-center in the foreground, dwarfed by the towering peaks. Stripped of his usual clubbing-and-fighting mobs, it channels Peterson's high-contrast red/black palette into a meditation on human smallness and mortality before an overwhelming, indifferent world.
Why It Matters
Most Cleon Peterson works hammer the same theme through bodies in conflict; here he reaches the same conclusion — the insignificance and vulnerability of the individual against forces far larger than himself — through a wholly different vocabulary of landscape. The lone figure absorbed into a vast, hostile, red-soaked mountainscape reframes Peterson's recurring obsession with power and powerlessness in existential rather than purely social terms. As a quieter, more contemplative outlier in his catalog, it shows the range of an artist usually pigeonholed for violence, which makes it a distinctive piece for collectors who already know the fighting-figure work.
Collector Perspective
A small edition of just 16, this is one of Peterson's scarcest screen-print releases and sits well below the run sizes (often 100-plus) of his better-known figural editions. As with his standard practice, expect it to be hand-signed and numbered. The tiny edition and the unusual landscape subject make it a connoisseur's pick rather than an entry point — buyers drawn to the iconic black-white-red violence may pass, but the rarity supports value for those who want something off-format. Liquidity is moderate: Peterson has an active secondary market, but a 16-edition outlier trades thinly and pricing depends on finding the right buyer.
Historical Context
Produced in 2021, this print comes from a period in which Peterson, already established through major murals, gallery shows and frequent Shepard Fairey collaborations, was expanding beyond his signature mob scenes into more atmospheric and symbolic imagery. The red-and-black palette ties it firmly to his core visual language, while the landscape format and solitary figure place it among the more introspective, less overtly political works he was making in the early 2020s.
FAQ
What does this print depict?
A panoramic range of black jagged mountains under a blood-red sky and snowfields, with a single tiny solitary figure standing in the center foreground, dwarfed by the peaks — a meditation on human smallness against an overwhelming world.
How large is the edition?
The edition is just 16, making it one of Cleon Peterson's scarcest screen-print releases.
Is it signed and numbered?
Consistent with Peterson's standard practice for his limited prints, it is hand-signed and numbered by the artist.
What is the medium?
It is a screen print (hand-pulled silkscreen) produced in 2021.
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, drawing on Greek vase painting, Hogarth and street art, and is a frequent Shepard Fairey collaborator. This landscape is an atypical, quieter work in his catalog.
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.