Gauntlet Gallery
What is Cleon Peterson’s piece called “Listen You Fuckers (White)”
Summary
A stark, flat-graphic close-up of a single screaming creature — a serpentine, skull-like white head with a gaping toothed maw and a coiling, snaking neck — set against solid black with grey ground and a deckle-edged white border. Rendered in Cleon Peterson's signature monochrome (white/black/grey) palette, it distills his recurring vocabulary of menace, predation and antiquity into one isolated, fanged figure rather than his usual mass brawls.
Why It Matters
Most of Peterson's prints stage crowds locked in violence; here he strips the scene to a single howling, serpentine head, which makes the work read like a heraldic emblem or a fragment of a Greek vase — a Gorgon or sea-serpent isolated as pure aggression. The blunt title and the open, shrieking mouth turn the image into a confrontation with the viewer, condensing his themes of brutality and the abuse of power into one snarling face. As a tight edition in his restrained grey-scale register, it shows Peterson working in a quieter, more iconic mode while keeping the threat intact.
Collector Perspective
A 2022 screen print in a very small edition of just 17, hand-signed and typically pencil-numbered by Peterson in the lower margin (a signature is visible at lower right of this impression). The small run places it among the scarcer Peterson editions, well below his more common 100–150 piece releases, which supports a stronger secondary-market position for the title. The white/grey colorway here is one variant within the release; collectors should confirm the specific colorway, numbering and condition of the deckle edges when buying. No issue or resale price is established here.
Historical Context
Made in 2022, this print sits within Cleon Peterson's mature period, after his profile rose through collaborations with Shepard Fairey and a body of work drawing on classical Greek vase painting, Hogarth and street art to expose violence and the abuse of power. The isolated serpent/skull motif connects to his ongoing engagement with myth and antiquity — the same well that produced his End of Empire vases and Siren imagery — but reduced to a single emblematic head rather than a populated scene.
FAQ
What does this print depict?
A single screaming creature with a white, skull-like serpent head, gaping toothed jaws and a coiling neck, set against a black field with a grey ground — an isolated emblem of menace rather than Peterson's usual crowd scenes.
What is the edition size?
It is a small edition of 17.
Is it signed and numbered?
Yes — Peterson editions are hand-signed (a signature appears at lower right) and typically pencil-numbered in the lower margin. Confirm the exact numbering on the specific impression.
What medium and series is it?
It is a screen print from 2022, titled 'Listen You Fuckers (White),' part of Peterson's monochrome grey-scale body of work.
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 in a flat black/white/red/gold palette, drawing on Greek vase painting, Hogarth and street art, and 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.