Gauntlet Gallery — Complete Cleon Peterson Print Index
The Spider & The Fly (Red & Black)
Work Summary & Collector Notes
"The Spider & The Fly (Red & Black)" is a 2020 hand-pulled screen print by Cleon Peterson, self-released in a signed, numbered edition of 100 at 18 x 24 inches on 290gsm Arches Rag. Its red-and-black palette and predator-prey title frame a stark moral question about power, exploitation, and the kind of world we choose to inhabit.
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 100. The saved release record describes: signed; numbered. Verify each feature against a documented example of this edition.
Why It Matters
The spider-and-fly allegory crystallizes Peterson's central binary: care and respect versus exploitation and winning at any cost. The red-and-black scheme raises the emotional temperature, reading as bloodshed and warning. It matters as one of his most legibly allegorical 2020 works, tying image directly to a stated moral crossroads.
Collector Perspective
The red-and-black colorway gives this print visceral impact, distinguishing it from Peterson's yellow and pure monochrome works. At 18 x 24 inches in an edition of 100 on premium Arches Rag, it is an accessible, high-contrast piece that pairs strongly with other election-year releases from the artist.
Historical Context
Released in 2020, the print accompanies Peterson's statement about a nation at a crossroads, its fundamental values in crisis. He frames a choice between caring for one another and exploiting the world for power, casting the preceding years as a summoning of the nation's worst attributes. It is a pointed artifact of that political reckoning.
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 100.
- 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 100.
- 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 2020, the print accompanies Peterson's statement about a nation at a crossroads, its fundamental values in crisis. 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 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 does the spider and fly symbolize?
The predator-prey image dramatizes Peterson's moral binary: exploitation and domination versus care and respect.
What colors and paper?
Red and black, hand-pulled on 290gsm Arches Rag paper with deckled edges.
What size and edition?
18 x 24 inches, a signed and numbered limited edition of 100, self-released by the artist.
What year was it released?
2020, alongside an artist statement about the nation standing at a values crossroads.
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