Gauntlet Gallery
What is Cleon Peterson’s piece called “Wasteland (Bone)”
Summary
Wasteland (Bone) depicts a solitary nude figure kneeling in a barren, moonlit landscape, head tilted back and arms raised behind it in a posture of exhaustion or anguish, while a crow perches on a dead, leafless tree beside it. Rendered in Peterson's flat black, white and grey palette, it is a quieter, more melancholic entry in his body of work — trading the mob violence of his crowd scenes for an isolated meditation on desolation and mortality.
Why It Matters
This print shows Peterson working in a more contemplative register than the brawling, club-wielding throngs that made his name. The lone white figure stripped bare in a dead landscape, the carrion crow, the cold moon and the skeletal tree read together as a vanitas: an image about aftermath, emptiness and the fragility of the body once the violence is over. The graphic flatness and high-contrast silhouette work — drawn from Greek vase painting and street-art poster aesthetics — let a simple scene carry real weight, showing Peterson's range beyond his signature mob scenes.
Collector Perspective
A 2022 screen print in a very small edition of 22, hand-signed and numbered in pencil by the artist. The tiny edition size makes this one of the scarcer Peterson editions to reach the secondary market, where his larger runs (typically 100-plus) trade far more frequently. The restrained black-and-white "Bone" palette is less immediately commercial than his red-and-gold pieces, but the minuscule edition and the atmospheric imagery support solid demand among dedicated Peterson collectors. A good fit for a buyer who wants a quieter, rarer work rather than a flagship crowd scene.
Historical Context
Produced in 2022, this print sits within Cleon Peterson's mature period, after his international rise through gallery shows and high-profile collaborations with Shepard Fairey. Peterson (b. 1973, Seattle) built his reputation on stark allegories of power, violence and social conflict; the "Wasteland" imagery — dead tree, moon and crow — belongs to a more somber, landscape-driven strand of his output that foregrounds mortality and desolation over open combat, while keeping the flat, classically-derived graphic language that defines his work.
FAQ
What does Wasteland (Bone) depict?
A solitary nude figure kneeling in a barren moonlit landscape with its head thrown back and arms raised, beside a dead leafless tree where a crow perches. It is a desolate, vanitas-like scene about aftermath and mortality rather than active violence.
What is the edition size?
The edition is just 22 — a very small run, making it one of the scarcer Cleon Peterson screen prints.
Is it signed and numbered?
Yes. Like Peterson's editions generally, it is hand-signed and numbered in pencil by the artist, typically in the lower margin.
What medium and year is this?
It is a screen print (silkscreen) produced in 2022, rendered in Peterson's flat black, white and grey 'Bone' palette.
Who is Cleon Peterson?
Cleon Peterson (b. 1973, Seattle) is an American artist known for stark, high-contrast scenes of power, violence and social conflict. He draws on Greek vase painting, Hogarth and street art, and is a frequent collaborator 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.