Gauntlet Gallery
What is Cleon Peterson’s piece called “On The Shady Side Of The Street (Black & Yellow)”
Summary
A stark two-color screen print in which a hulking yellow nude male stands legs-planted and frontal over a second yellow figure sprawled inverted and contorted on the ground beneath him. It is a textbook Cleon Peterson power dynamic — the dominant aggressor towering over the defeated, vulnerable body — rendered in his signature flat, high-contrast graphic language.
Why It Matters
The image distills Peterson's central subject — the brutal mechanics of power and submission — into its most economical form: one figure standing, one figure broken, nothing else. By stripping the scene to a single black field and a single yellow, Peterson removes all narrative escape, forcing the viewer to confront domination and abjection directly. The flattened, frieze-like staging draws on classical Greek vase painting and Hogarthian moralizing while reading like a street-art icon, the formal economy that has made his work instantly recognizable and widely collected.
Collector Perspective
A 2021 screen print issued in the "Black & Yellow" colorway, one of Peterson's recurring two-tone variant releases. Edition size is unconfirmed here; collectors should verify the stated run and confirm it is hand-signed and numbered in the lower margin (visible pencil annotations in the lower corners are consistent with a signed/numbered edition). As a single-figure-dominance image in a limited two-color palette, it sits in the accessible-to-mid tier of Peterson's market — desirable for its clarity and bold graphic punch rather than as a top-tier large multi-figure tableau. Confirm edition details and condition before assigning value.
Historical Context
Cleon Peterson (b. 1973, Seattle) built his reputation in the 2010s on flat, high-contrast scenes of violence, power and social conflict, working in a tightly restricted black/white/red/gold vocabulary and drawing on Greek vase painting, Hogarth and street art. This 2021 print belongs to his ongoing practice of releasing key compositions in alternate two-color "split" editions — here black and yellow — that recast a single image through different chromatic moods while keeping his confrontational subject matter intact.
FAQ
What does this print depict?
A muscular yellow nude figure standing frontally with legs spread, looming over a second yellow figure that lies sprawled, inverted and contorted on the ground beneath him — Peterson's recurring image of domination and submission.
What is the colorway?
This is the Black & Yellow edition: a solid black background with the figures rendered in a single flat yellow, one of Peterson's two-color variant releases.
What is the medium and year?
It is a screen print produced in 2021.
Is it signed and numbered?
Peterson's limited editions are typically hand-signed and numbered in pencil in the lower margin; pencil annotations are visible in the lower corners. Buyers should confirm the specific signature and number on the sheet in hand.
What is the edition size?
The edition size is unconfirmed for this listing and should be verified against the certificate or publisher information before purchase.
Who is Cleon Peterson?
A Seattle-born (1973) contemporary artist known for stark black/white/red/gold scenes of violence, power and social conflict, influenced by Greek vase painting, Hogarth and street art, and 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.