Gauntlet Gallery — Complete Cleon Peterson Print Index
Let's Start A War (Black)
Work Summary & Collector Notes
A 2018 self-released screen print in a large 28 x 28 inch square format, hand-pulled in black and red in a limited edition of 65 on 290gsm Coventry Rag with deckled edges. Let's Start A War (Black) confronts the appetite for conflict with a provocatively casual title set against Peterson's brutal figures.
Collector notes: The saved release record describes: limited edition of 65. The saved release record describes: signed; numbered. Verify each feature against a documented example of this edition.
Why It Matters
The flippant phrasing of Let's Start A War sharpens Peterson's critique, exposing how easily aggression is invoked and normalized. With an edition of just 65, it ranks among the scarcer square-format prints in his catalogue, making it a notable reference for collectors of his most confrontational political statements.
Collector Perspective
The small edition of 65 sets this apart from Peterson's more numerous runs, adding scarcity to a work already bold in scale at 28 x 28 inches. Hand-pulled in black and red on heavyweight Coventry Rag with deckled edges and hand-numbered, it pairs naturally with Rule Of Law as a same-scale, same-edition companion.
Historical Context
Released in 2018, Let's Start A War (Black) reflects Peterson's engagement with the rhetoric of militarism and manufactured conflict. His figures, reduced to essential silhouettes of aggressor and victim, translate the abstraction of geopolitical violence into immediate, visceral confrontation.
Documented Release Details
- Object type
- Editioned screenprint
- Release date
- 2018
- 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 28 x 28 inches; 28 x 28" hand pulled black and Red screen print; printed on 290gsm Coventry Rag paper with deckled edges.
- Edition details
- The saved release record describes: limited edition of 65.
- 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: Read as documented context rather than stated intent: Released in 2018, Let's Start A War (Black) reflects Peterson's engagement with the rhetoric of militarism and manufactured conflict. This is an interpretive reading of the release context, not a statement of the artist's intent for this specific work. This interpretive note follows the cited artist or publisher context.
Release context: The saved catalog lists 2018 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?
It is a limited edition of 65, among the scarcer square-format prints in Peterson's catalogue.
What are the dimensions?
The print measures 28 x 28 inches in a square format.
What palette is used?
It is hand-pulled in black and red on 290gsm Coventry Rag paper with deckled edges.
Does it pair with another print?
It shares the same 28 x 28 inch scale and edition of 65 as Rule Of Law, making the two natural companions.
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