Gauntlet Gallery
What is Cleon Peterson’s piece called “Man In The Forest (Black & White)”
Summary
A stark black-and-white screen print depicting a lone muscular nude male figure standing in a dense, tangled forest, raising a long club or staff overhead with both hands as he prepares to strike. Rendered entirely in white line on a saturated black ground, it is a characteristic Cleon Peterson study of a solitary aggressor and the threat of imminent violence in a primal, lawless wilderness.
Why It Matters
The print distills Peterson's central subject — the brutality beneath the veneer of civilization — into its most elemental form: a single armed figure, stripped of clothing and social context, poised to bring a bludgeon down in the dark of the woods. Stripping away the crowds and architecture of his larger battle scenes, the forest setting pushes the violence back to a state-of-nature primitivism, where power belongs to whoever holds the weapon. The reductive white-on-black palette and bold flat outlines echo Greek vase painting and woodcut traditions while reading with the immediacy of a street-art icon, making it a concentrated example of the menace that defines his work.
Collector Perspective
A 2024 screen print in a tight edition of just 24, hand-signed and numbered by the artist in pencil in the lower margin (the "1/1"-style fraction and signature are visible at the bottom edge). The small edition size places it among Peterson's scarcer print releases rather than his larger open or 100+ runs, which supports stronger long-term desirability. As a single-figure black-and-white composition it sits in the more affordable, graphic tier of his market rather than the large multi-color or gold-leaf works, but the low edition count is the main value driver here. A clean, focused entry point for collectors who want a definitive Peterson image at a contained edition.
Historical Context
Created in 2024, this print belongs to Peterson's ongoing body of stark monochrome figure studies that strip his recurring themes of violence and domination down to a single protagonist. The forest/wilderness motif and the raised club connect to his broader interest in primal conflict and the abuse of power, themes he has explored since rising to prominence in the 2010s with works like the End of Empire series. The flat outline drawing and high-contrast palette reflect his consistent debt to classical Greek vase painting, Hogarth's moralizing prints, and the visual economy of street art.
FAQ
What does this print depict?
A solitary nude male figure standing in a dense forest, raising a long club or staff overhead with both hands as if about to strike. It is rendered in white line on a solid black background, with no color other than the black-and-white scheme.
What is the edition size?
The edition is limited to 24.
Is it signed and numbered?
Yes. It is hand-signed and numbered by Cleon Peterson in pencil in the lower margin.
What is the medium?
It is a screen print (silkscreen) on paper, produced in 2024.
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 and gold palette. 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.