The Devil Made Me Do It (Timed Edition)

Work Summary & Collector Notes

The Devil Made Me Do It is a 2022 timed-edition screen print, hand-pulled at 18 x 24 inches on 290gsm Coventry Rag paper with deckled edges. The run size was determined by sales during the release window. Each print is signed and numbered. The title wields a familiar phrase to probe accountability and moral evasion.

Collector notes: Legacy catalog label: Timed Edition; total quantity was not documented in the saved record. The saved release record describes: signed; numbered. Verify each feature against a documented example of this edition.

Why It Matters

The colloquial title turns a common excuse into a sharp comment on how humans deflect responsibility for their own violence, a central preoccupation of Peterson's practice. The timed-edition model keeps supply demand-bound. In his flat two-tone idiom, the work confronts the viewer with the gap between action and blame.

Collector Perspective

As a timed edition, its scarcity is fixed only after the window closes, making the final count a key detail for collectors. The archival Coventry Rag stock with deckled edges maintains gallery-grade production, and the signed-and-numbered format supports collectibility within a focused Peterson holding of his 2022 self-released prints.

Historical Context

Peterson's interest in moral evasion connects to a long artistic tradition of depicting sin and its rationalizations. The phrase's pop-cultural resonance gives it immediate legibility. His 2022 timed editions extended this direct-to-collector model, pairing accessible pricing with demand-capped supply for pointed, aphoristic works.

Documented Release Details

Object type

Editioned screenprint

Release date

2022

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 24 x 18 inches; All Hand-pulled screen prints will measure 18 x 24 inches; They will be printed on 290gsm Coventry Rag paper with deckled edges.

Edition details

Legacy catalog label: Timed Edition; total quantity was not documented in the saved record.

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: No per-work artist statement is recorded for this edition. Any thematic reading should be treated as interpretation of the imagery, not a documented statement of the artist's intent. This interpretive note follows the cited artist or publisher context.

Release context: The saved catalog lists 2022 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

1. 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.
2. Cleon Peterson — official site — Cleon Peterson studio · primary artist source · Accessed 2026-07-13 · Official artist site; career context, not an individual-edition record.
3. Cleon Peterson — Wikipedia · reference encyclopedia · Accessed 2026-07-13 · General artist-level biographical and career reference.
4. Cleon Peterson (Q124215748) — Wikidata · reference knowledge base · Accessed 2026-07-13 · Structured identifier used for the artist across catalog metadata.

FAQ

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