Gauntlet Gallery
What is Cleon Peterson’s piece called “On The Sunny Side Of The Street (Yellow & Black)”
Summary
A stark Cleon Peterson screen print rendered in his signature flat, high-contrast style: a single muscular black silhouette stands dominant and aggressive against a saturated yellow ground, towering over a second figure that lies sprawled and contorted on the floor, reduced to a writhing pool-like shadow at its feet. The composition distills Peterson's central obsession — the brutal asymmetry of power, the standing aggressor and the fallen victim — into one tense, two-figure tableau.
Why It Matters
The work is a tight, almost emblematic statement of Peterson's lifelong subject: the abuse of power and the violence lurking beneath civilization. Stripping the scene to two figures and two colors, he turns a private act of domination into something monumental and universal, echoing the silhouette language of ancient Greek vase painting and the moral commentary of Hogarth while reading as pure, contemporary street-art directness. The standing figure's blank, faceless authority over the broken body below makes the print a concentrated meditation on cruelty, hierarchy and mortality.
Collector Perspective
A 2021 screen print on the yellow-and-black palette Peterson uses frequently for his most graphic, poster-like compositions. Edition size is not confirmed here; like most of his hand-pulled prints it would typically be released as a small, signed and numbered edition, with the artist's signature visible at the lower right. As a single-image, two-figure piece in his most recognizable visual vocabulary, it sits in the accessible-but-desirable tier of his market — strong wall presence and instant Peterson legibility make it an easy entry point for collectors rather than a rare flagship. Confirm exact edition size, signature and numbering against the COA before purchase.
Historical Context
Cleon Peterson (b. 1973, Seattle) emerged in the 2010s with a body of work depicting fighting, beating and domination in flat black, white, red and gold, drawing equally on classical antiquity, Hogarth and the graphic economy of street art, and gaining wider visibility through his collaborations with Shepard Fairey. This 2021 print belongs to his ongoing series of high-contrast violence-and-power scenes, here in a yellow-and-black colorway, continuing the standing-aggressor / fallen-victim motif that runs throughout his prints, paintings and murals.
FAQ
What does this print depict?
A single dominant black figure standing aggressively over a second figure that lies collapsed and contorted on the ground, set against a bright yellow field — Peterson's recurring image of an aggressor and a defeated victim, a meditation on power, cruelty and mortality.
Who is Cleon Peterson?
Cleon Peterson (b. 1973, Seattle) is an American artist known for stark, high-contrast scenes of violence and social conflict in flat black, white, red and gold. He draws on Greek vase painting, Hogarth and street art and is a frequent collaborator of Shepard Fairey.
What is the medium?
It is a hand-pulled screen print, dated 2021, executed in Peterson's signature flat two-color graphic style (black on yellow).
What is the edition size?
The edition size is not confirmed in our records. Peterson's screen prints are typically issued in small, signed and numbered editions — verify the exact figure against the certificate of authenticity or the lower-margin numbering.
Is it signed and numbered?
Peterson's editioned prints are generally hand-signed by the artist (a signature is visible at the lower right) and numbered. Confirm signature and numbering on the specific impression before purchase.
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.