Gauntlet Gallery
What is Cleon Peterson’s piece called “Untitled CP”
Summary
A stark black-and-white screen print depicting two bare-chested, snarling men running through a chaotic wooded landscape strewn with rubble, branches and debris — one clutching a rope or cord, both wild-eyed with bared teeth in expressions of aggression or panicked flight. The work belongs to Cleon Peterson's early body of work, where his signature high-contrast figuration translates the brutality and lawlessness beneath civilization into flat, graphic scenes of menace.
Why It Matters
This print captures Cleon Peterson at an early, formative stage (2010), before the rigid black/white/red/gold palette and frieze-like compositions of his End of Empire and later work crystallized. Here he works in pure black and white, with a denser, more illustrative line that recalls underground comics and Hogarthian moralizing scenes — figures caught mid-violence in a collapsing, debris-filled environment. It documents the raw, unpolished energy of his Seattle-rooted aesthetic of social menace before his international breakout and Shepard Fairey collaborations, making it a useful marker of how his vocabulary of power, aggression and mob brutality developed.
Collector Perspective
An early (2010) Cleon Peterson screen print from before his market matured. Edition size is unknown/unrecorded here, which is common for his earliest small-run prints and warrants verifying the pencil edition notation and signature in hand before purchase. As a black-and-white work it sits apart from the more commercial red/gold editions collectors chase, so it appeals more to dedicated Peterson followers and completists than to decorative buyers. Condition, paper, and a clear signature/numbering will drive value; price it as an early, less-documented work rather than a flagship release.
Historical Context
Cleon Peterson (b. 1973, Seattle) spent the late 2000s and early 2010s building the visual language of violence, power and social conflict that would define his career. A 2010 screen print like this predates his wider recognition and the codified black/white/red/gold palette of works such as the End of Empire series; it shows him drawing on street art, underground illustration and the moralizing chaos of Hogarth to depict bodies in conflict within a hostile, rubble-strewn world.
FAQ
What does this print depict?
Two bare-chested, snarling men running through a chaotic, debris-filled wooded landscape — one gripping a rope or cord, both with bared teeth and wild expressions suggesting aggression, conflict or panicked flight.
What is the edition size?
The edition size for this work is unknown/unrecorded. Early Cleon Peterson screen prints were often issued in small runs; verify the pencil edition number on the sheet before purchase.
Is it signed and numbered?
It appears to carry a hand-signed notation in the lower right corner. As with all prints, confirm the signature and any edition numbering in pencil in person before buying.
What is the medium?
It is a screen print, executed in flat black and white — Peterson's preferred high-contrast graphic technique.
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, drawing on Greek vase painting, Hogarth and street art. He is a frequent collaborator of 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.