Gauntlet Gallery
What is Cleon Peterson’s piece called “Pissers II”
Summary
A high-contrast tableau of pale, contorted nude figures sprawled and entangled across a dark interior, urinating and writhing amid pooling streams against a blood-red and black ground flanked by ornate wall sconces. Rendered in Cleon Peterson's signature flat black/white/red palette, "Pissers II" channels classical Greek vase composition into a debased orgy of bodily degradation and dominance that typifies his work on the brutality beneath civility.
Why It Matters
Pissers II" distills Peterson's central preoccupation: the exposure of power, humiliation and animal appetite hiding behind the trappings of refined society. The decorative sconces and grand red chamber stage a scene of decadent collapse, where bodies become instruments of dominance and submission. It is one of his more transgressive and confrontational images, using the cool formal language of antique frieze and vase painting to deliver a deliberately grotesque indictment of human conduct, making it a strong representative of the artist's bleak social vision.
Collector Perspective
A 2018 screen print in a tight edition of 28, "Pissers II" sits among Cleon Peterson's scarcer hand-pulled releases, well below the run sizes of his more widely distributed editions. Examples are typically signed and numbered in pencil by the artist. Its confrontational subject narrows the buyer pool somewhat relative to his cleaner power-and-violence compositions, but the small edition supports desirability among committed Peterson collectors. Expect moderate availability on the secondary market given how few exist.
Historical Context
Produced in 2018, during the period when Peterson had consolidated his international profile through gallery shows, public commissions and his ongoing collaborations with Shepard Fairey and Obey. The work belongs to his mature body of screen prints exploring degradation, power and the collapse of civility, drawing formally on Greek vase painting and the moralizing tradition of Hogarth while filtering it through a stark, contemporary street-art idiom.
FAQ
What does Pissers II depict?
It shows a group of pale, contorted nude figures sprawled across a dark red and black interior, urinating and entangled amid pooling streams, flanked by ornate wall sconces — a scene of bodily degradation and dominance rendered in flat, high-contrast color.
How large is the edition?
The edition size is 28, making it one of Cleon Peterson's scarcer hand-pulled screen print releases.
Is the print signed and numbered?
Works in this edition are typically signed and numbered in pencil by the artist; buyers should confirm the specific example.
What is the medium?
It is a hand-pulled screen print, produced in 2018.
Who is Cleon Peterson?
Cleon Peterson (b. 1973, Seattle) is an American artist known for stark, high-contrast black, white and red scenes of violence, power and social conflict. He draws on Greek vase painting, Hogarth and street art, and is a frequent Shepard Fairey collaborator.
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.