Gauntlet Gallery — Complete Cleon Peterson Print Index
Destroy America (Red)
Work Summary & Collector Notes
Released in 2020 as an edition of 125, Destroy America (Red) is a hand-pulled screen print measuring 24 x 18 inches on 290gsm Arches Rag with deckled edges. Self-released by Peterson at a debut price of $150, it channels his black-and-red duotone vocabulary into an overtly political statement piece. Each impression is signed and numbered in pencil.
Collector notes: The saved release record describes: Hand pulled 18 x 24" screen print. Printed on 290gsm Arches Rag paper with deckled edges. Each print is signed and numbered. Limited edition of 125. The saved release record describes: signed; numbered. Verify each feature against a documented example of this edition.
Why It Matters
This print marks one of Peterson's most explicit political interventions, tying his long-running iconography of predatory power directly to a named contemporary figure. It sharpens the abstract violence of his earlier work into pointed civic commentary, making it a documentary artifact of the 2020 American election-year mood as much as a graphic object.
Collector Perspective
At an edition of 125 with an accessible original release price, this sits in Peterson's mid-scarcity band. Collectors value the Arches Rag substrate and hand-pulled process, but the explicit topical text narrows its buyer pool to those drawn to political work. Signed-and-numbered status and pristine deckled edges are the condition points to confirm.
Historical Context
Peterson built his reputation across the 2010s on stark scenes of brutality rendered in flat black and red. By 2020 he was self-releasing directly to collectors, bypassing traditional publishers. Destroy America belongs to a wave of protest-driven prints produced during a fraught election year, aligning his figurative violence with real political stakes.
Documented Release Details
- Object type
- Editioned screenprint
- Release date
- 2020
- Release-date note
- Catalog-listed release year from the saved secondary record; primary release-page confirmation remains pending.
- Medium and materials
- Screen Print; catalog dimensions 24 x 18 inches; Hand pulled 18 x 24" screen print. Printed on 290gsm Arches Rag paper with deckled edges. Each print is signed and numbered. Limited edition of 125.
- Edition details
- The saved release record describes: Hand pulled 18 x 24" screen print. Printed on 290gsm Arches Rag paper with deckled edges. Each print is signed and numbered. Limited edition of 125.
- Signature and marks
- The saved release record describes: signed; numbered. Verify each feature against a documented example of this edition.
Documented History and Meaning
History note: This page treats Cleon Peterson's broader career as background context, not proof that this specific edition belongs to any single exhibition or event. Release-level facts here come from a saved secondary catalog record.
Meaning / interpretation: No per-work artist statement is recorded for this edition. Any thematic reading should be treated as interpretation of the imagery, not a documented statement of the artist's intent. This interpretive note follows the cited artist or publisher context.
Release context: The saved catalog lists 2020 and attributes the edition to Cleon Peterson (Self Released).
Authentication, Presentation and Provenance
- Original presentation
- Original packaging or presentation was not documented in the release sources reviewed.
- Authentication note
- Compare the support, dimensions, edition number, and signature against a documented example of this edition. Gauntlet Gallery does not authenticate works purchased from third parties.
- Provenance note
- Edition origin is attributed in the saved record to Cleon Peterson (Self Released). That does not establish the ownership history of an individual copy: retain the original invoice, reseller or gallery paperwork, labels, correspondence, and condition photographs.
Sources and Verification
Verification status: Secondary catalog snapshot; artist-level context added
- Saved release record — Art Collectorz · secondary catalog snapshot · Accessed 2026-07-13 · Starting record for title, year, edition, dimensions, medium, and release description. Primary confirmation against the original release page remains pending.
- Cleon Peterson — official site — Cleon Peterson studio · primary artist source · Accessed 2026-07-13 · Official artist site; career context, not an individual-edition record.
- Cleon Peterson — Wikipedia · reference encyclopedia · Accessed 2026-07-13 · General artist-level biographical and career reference.
- Cleon Peterson (Q124215748) — Wikidata · reference knowledge base · Accessed 2026-07-13 · Structured identifier used for the artist across catalog metadata.
FAQ
What is the edition size of Destroy America (Red)?
It is a limited edition of 125, each hand-pulled, signed, and numbered by Cleon Peterson.
What paper is it printed on?
290gsm Arches Rag with deckled edges, a heavyweight cotton rag stock Peterson favors for his self-released screen prints.
How large is the print?
24 x 18 inches, a standard mid-format for Peterson's single-figure political prints.
Was it published through a gallery?
No. It was self-released directly by Cleon Peterson in 2020 rather than through an outside publisher.
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