Artwork Description
Money and Power- Black Hand-Pulled 1-Color Silkscreen Print on Hand Deckled 290gsm Arches Rag Paper by Artist Cleon Peterson Limited Edition Art Artwork.
2022 Signed & Numbered Limited Edition of 75 Artwork Size 18x18
"Money and Power have become primary drivers in the modern world, pushing us toward a corrupt society. The days when our leaders looked out for the people's interests have become a thing of the past—replaced by the strong man who squashes the voices of dissent to set things straight. Money elects leaders; in return, they owe a debt to the people that put them in Power—enacting our new public policy of greed and gangster capitalism. We slowly accept corruption, Law slowly fades away, and people begin to feel like democracy and a fair and equitable society were always just an illusion, a dream from the past that never really even existed." -Cleon Peterson
Money and Power by Cleon Peterson – A Stark Allegory of Corruption in Street Pop Art & Graffiti Artwork
Money and Power is a powerful black hand-pulled 1-color silkscreen print created by Cleon Peterson in 2022. Produced in a limited edition of just 75 signed and numbered pieces, this 18x18 inch artwork is printed on 290gsm Arches rag paper with hand-deckled edges, emphasizing its artisanal quality and rarity. The stark yellow figures and flag, laid over a deep black background, serve as a searing visual metaphor of political decay and societal control. With simplified, militaristic forms, Peterson’s composition marches forward in rigid formation, symbolizing a collective submission to authoritarian rule driven by capitalist greed. The central banner bearing a dollar sign encapsulates the theme in one potent glyph: money has become the new god, the flag under which societies now march.
Cleon Peterson's Street Pop Art & Graffiti Artwork – A Violent Mirror of Power Structures
Cleon Peterson, born in the United States in 1973, is known globally for his uncompromising and provocative style that merges elements of street art, pop iconography, and a graffiti aesthetic into biting social commentary. His work does not rely on subtlety but instead confronts the viewer with raw and unsettling imagery. In Money and Power, Peterson explores how capitalist motives have become indistinguishable from systems of governance. The faceless, weapon-wielding figures invoke totalitarian control, with each character's uniformity and march-step illustrating the erasure of individual thought and freedom. Peterson’s use of a single bold color evokes propaganda art, recalling wartime posters and dictatorial regimes, reinforcing the critique that today’s economic elites and political figures have blended into a single oppressive force.
Money and Power as a Visual Manifesto Against Gangster Capitalism
This piece stands as a visual thesis against what Peterson terms gangster capitalism. He expresses the idea that leaders are no longer elected to serve the public good but instead owe their power to financial interests. These interests then dictate policy, ensuring that the cycle of wealth consolidation and systemic inequality continues unchecked. In the artwork, the figures do not march for justice or liberty, but for power sustained by money. The gun in each figure's hand underscores how violence or the threat of it is now a normalized tool for maintaining order in this corrupt structure. As law and accountability fade, Peterson’s image becomes a grim prophecy, showing a society where control is absolute and voices of dissent are methodically extinguished.
A Defining Work in Modern Political Street Pop Art & Graffiti Artwork
Money and Power exemplifies the essential mission of street pop art and graffiti artwork: to challenge viewers, provoke thought, and expose uncomfortable truths. Peterson uses minimalist design to deliver a maximalist message—every line, posture, and symbol communicates urgency and danger. The limited nature of the piece and the labor-intensive silkscreen technique elevate its importance as a collectible while preserving the raw authenticity central to street and graffiti art origins. It operates not merely as a print but as a declaration—one that distills Peterson’s disdain for performative democracy and unregulated capitalism into a concise, unforgettable image. The work’s impact lies in its clarity and its refusal to soften the critique, marking it as a seminal moment in Peterson’s body of work and a critical reflection of our time.
