Gauntlet Gallery
What is Cleon Peterson’s piece called “Flowers Of Evil: There Is An End To Everything (Black)”
Summary
A tightly packed circular tangle of nude black-and-white figures, rendered in Cleon Peterson's signature flat, high-contrast graphic style, shows bodies writhing, climbing and collapsing over one another inside a black field. Part of Peterson's 2021 "Flowers Of Evil" series, the composition turns the human pile-up into a churning emblem of conflict, exhaustion and mortality.
Why It Matters
The print distills Peterson's central preoccupation — the brutality and entropy beneath civilization — into a single, almost mandala-like mass of bodies. By arranging the figures in a circular knot with no clear top or bottom, he removes any individual hero or villain and instead presents struggle as a closed, self-consuming system, echoing the death-and-decay thematics of Baudelaire's "Les Fleurs du Mal" that gives the series its name. The stripped two-color palette and bold contour line tie it directly to his classical-vase and street-art lineage, making it a strong, legible example of his graphic language.
Collector Perspective
A 2021 screen print in an edition of just 32, this is one of the scarcer Cleon Peterson releases, well below the artist's more common 100-150 print runs. Editions of this size from the "Flowers Of Evil" group are typically hand-signed and numbered and trade infrequently on the secondary market, which supports value but means fewer data points and patience required for either buying or selling. The reductive black-and-white palette (versus his more recognizable red/gold works) makes this a connoisseur's pick rather than an entry-level decorative buy, but the small edition and strong composition give it real collector appeal.
Historical Context
Flowers Of Evil" is a 2021 Cleon Peterson series whose title nods to Charles Baudelaire's 1857 poetry collection "Les Fleurs du Mal," a touchstone of decadence, mortality and moral corruption. It arrived during a prolific period in which Peterson — already established through gallery shows and his ongoing collaborations with Shepard Fairey — continued mining classical Greek vase painting and Hogarthian moralizing to depict cycles of violence and societal collapse. This black colorway sits within that series as one of multiple variants.
FAQ
What does this print depict?
A dense circular mass of intertwined nude figures rendered in flat black and white, climbing and collapsing over one another against a black ground — a churning emblem of conflict, exhaustion and mortality rather than a single narrative scene.
What is the edition size?
The edition is 32, making it one of the scarcer Cleon Peterson print releases.
Is it signed and numbered?
Editions in this series are typically hand-signed and numbered by the artist; buyers should confirm the specific pencil signature and number on the sheet.
What is the medium and series?
It is a screen print from 2021, part of Peterson's 'Flowers Of Evil' series, shown here in the black colorway.
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 classical Greek vase painting, Hogarth and street art, and frequently collaborates with Shepard Fairey.
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.