Gauntlet Gallery — Complete Cleon Peterson Print Index
Punishment Is What We Wanted All Along
Work Summary & Collector Notes
Cleon Peterson's Punishment Is What We Wanted All Along (2019) is a hand-pulled screen print in an edition of 100, sized at a square 28 x 28 inches on 290gsm Coventry Rag paper with deckled edges. Self-released by the artist, each impression is signed and numbered. The title itself is the loudest gesture, framing the work as an indictment of complicity.
Collector notes: The saved release record describes: 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 declarative, accusatory title sets this apart from Peterson's more scene-driven prints, functioning almost as a manifesto. The generous square format and archival Coventry Rag stock signal a work meant to be read as a statement piece. Self-released editions like this connect collectors directly to the studio, without a third-party publisher intermediary.
Collector Perspective
At an edition of 100 and a large square footprint, this sits among the more substantial self-released Peterson prints. The signed-and-numbered pencil inscription and deckled-edge Coventry Rag are the details collectors verify on inspection. Its confrontational title makes it a focal work rather than a companion piece, best framed to stand alone.
Historical Context
By 2019 Peterson had built a decade-long visual language of black-figure violence borrowed from Greek pottery and social realism. This print's moralizing title reflects the artist's ongoing preoccupation with power, punishment, and collective guilt, themes that run throughout his self-released studio editions of the late 2010s.
Documented Release Details
- Object type
- Editioned screenprint
- Release date
- 2019
- 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 28 x 28 inches; Hand pulled screen print; printed on 290gsm Coventry Rag paper with deckled edges.
- Edition details
- The saved release record describes: 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: By 2019 Peterson had built a decade-long visual language of black-figure violence borrowed from Greek pottery and social realism. 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 2019 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
Is this print signed and numbered?
Yes. Each impression in the edition of 100 is hand-signed and numbered by Cleon Peterson, typically in pencil.
What paper is it printed on?
290gsm Coventry Rag, a heavyweight archival cotton stock, with deckled (naturally torn) edges.
How large is the print?
It measures 28 x 28 inches, a square format that reads as a standalone statement work.
Who published it?
It was self-released directly by Cleon Peterson, with no outside publisher.
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