Gauntlet Gallery
What is Cleon Peterson’s piece called “Orientations Of The Night II”
Summary
A stark screen print showing two interlocked nude figures — one rendered in metallic gold, one in white — grappling in a violent, contorted tangle against a flat black void, with grimacing bared-teeth faces and a single severed-looking limb floating at the edge. It is a characteristic Cleon Peterson scene of bodies locked in struggle, where domination and brutality are reduced to a single silhouetted knot of aggression.
Why It Matters
The print distills Peterson's central subject — the abuse of power and the violence beneath civilized order — into its most concentrated form: no crowd, no architecture, just two bodies fused in combat. The restricted black/white/gold palette and flat, frieze-like silhouetting nod directly to Greek vase painting, framing modern brutality as something ancient and recurring. As part of a tightly editioned 2025 series, it shows Peterson working at gallery scale on the same themes that drive his larger murals and museum pieces.
Collector Perspective
A 2025 screen print in a very small edition of 16, hand-signed and numbered by the artist in pencil in the lower margin (the deckled-edge sheet and "C. Peterson" signature are visible here). The small run places it among Peterson's scarcer print releases — most of his editions run larger — which supports it on the secondary market, though the artist himself remains more mid-tier than blue-chip in price. A clean, graphic, gold-and-black image that reads well framed; appeal is to dedicated Peterson collectors rather than casual buyers.
Historical Context
Cleon Peterson (b. 1973, Seattle) built his reputation on flat, high-contrast tableaux of fighting, clubbing and writhing figures that expose power and cruelty, drawing on Greek vase painting, Hogarth and street art. This 2025 screen print, part of his "Orientations Of The Night" group, continues the night-and-shadow strand of his work — figures emerging from a black ground — and reflects his mature studio practice of issuing small, hand-pulled editions alongside his larger paintings, murals and frequent collaborations with Shepard Fairey.
FAQ
What does this print depict?
Two nude figures — one gold, one white — locked together in a violent, contorted struggle against a black background, with grimacing faces and bared teeth. It is a typical Cleon Peterson image of bodies fused in combat, symbolizing domination and the brutality beneath social order.
How large is the edition?
The edition size is 16, making it one of Peterson's scarcer print releases.
Is it signed and numbered?
Yes. It is hand-signed and numbered in pencil by the artist in the lower margin, on a deckled-edge sheet.
What medium and series is it?
It is a screen print from 2025, part of Cleon Peterson's 'Orientations Of The Night' group of works.
Who is Cleon Peterson?
Cleon Peterson (b. 1973, Seattle) is an American artist known for stark black/white/red/gold scenes of violence, power and conflict that draw on Greek vase painting, Hogarth and street art. He 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.