Gauntlet Gallery
What is Cleon Peterson’s piece called “Balance Of Power II (Red)”
Summary
Balance Of Power II (Red) depicts two muscular, black-silhouetted figures kneeling face to face against a flat red field, each driving a blade into the other in a perfectly mirrored act of mutual destruction. The symmetrical composition turns Peterson's signature scenes of brutality into an emblem of power as stalemate, where two adversaries annihilate one another in equal measure.
Why It Matters
The print distills Cleon Peterson's central preoccupation — the violence and domination that underpin civilization — into a single, almost heraldic image of reciprocal killing. Where many of his works show mobs, conquerors, and the trampling of the weak, the mirrored figures here strip the subject down to a stark equation: power balanced only by destruction. Rendered in Peterson's reductive black-on-red vocabulary, drawn from Greek vase painting and the flat graphic language of street art, it reads as both a contemporary political allegory and a timeless warning about mutually assured ruin.
Collector Perspective
A 2026 screen print in a tight edition of just 18, this is a genuinely small release even by Peterson's standards, placing it firmly in the scarce end of his print market. Peterson's hand-pulled screen prints are typically signed and numbered, and the very low edition count means examples rarely circulate on the secondary market. The high-contrast red colorway is among his most commercially desirable palettes, and the bold, poster-scale composition makes it an immediate wall piece. For collectors, the appeal is the combination of an iconic mutual-violence motif, a flagship red colorway, and an edition small enough to behave more like an artist proof run than a standard release.
Historical Context
Cleon Peterson (b. 1973, Seattle) emerged from the skate and street-art world and built his reputation on stark allegories of power, violence, and social conflict rendered in a flat black/white/red/gold palette indebted to Greek vase painting, Hogarth, and graffiti. A frequent Shepard Fairey collaborator, he has produced a sustained body of prints, paintings, sculptures, and public works exploring the abuse of authority. Balance Of Power II (Red), released in 2026, sits within his ongoing exploration of conflict and domination, here reduced to a symmetrical confrontation between two equally matched aggressors.
FAQ
What does Balance Of Power II (Red) depict?
Two muscular, black-silhouetted figures kneel facing each other against a flat red background, each plunging a blade into the other in a mirrored act of simultaneous, mutual killing — an image of power as deadlock and mutual destruction.
How large is the edition?
The edition size is 18, making it a scarce release even within Cleon Peterson's body of work.
Is the print signed and numbered?
Peterson's limited-edition screen prints are typically hand-signed and numbered by the artist; buyers should confirm the specific signature and numbering with the seller.
What is the medium?
It is a hand-pulled screen print produced in 2026, in Peterson's signature high-contrast black-on-red palette.
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 also 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.