Gauntlet Gallery
What is D*Face’s piece called “Till Death Do Us (P)art”
Summary
A Lichtenstein-flavoured romance-comic panel in which the doomed lovers are stripped to grinning skulls: a blonde, winged-eyed female skull faces a purple-pompadoured greaser skull, with a speech bubble reading "Till Death Do Us (P)art." It is a clean encapsulation of D*Face's signature move — defacing vintage comic-book romance and advertising imagery to expose the death's-head lurking beneath idealised love and consumer fantasy.
Why It Matters
The print sits at the centre of D*Face's most recognisable vein of work, where 1950s-60s comic-strip lovers are rendered as skeletal remains. By weaponising the wedding-vow cliché — and the pun on "part" — he collapses romance and mortality into a single image, satirising the manufactured perfection of mid-century advertising and pop culture. The Ben-Day dots, bold contour lines and limited palette deliberately echo Roy Lichtenstein and Pop Art's appropriation of mass media, but D*Face pushes the source toward the macabre, aligning it with his broader graveyard of grinning skulls and doomed comic lovers. It is a compact statement of his thesis that consumer culture sells us fantasy while time does the rest.
Collector Perspective
An edition of 50 places this among D*Face's tighter screen-print runs, which collectors generally favour over his larger commercial editions. The subject matter — skull-headed comic lovers — is one of his most sought-after and instantly legible motifs, so demand tends to be steady when examples surface. As a 2016 work it falls within his Established Era, after his market had matured through StolenSpace and major shows, so it carries name recognition without the volatility of very early or one-off pieces. Condition, full margins, and intact signature/numbering will drive value; buyers should confirm the COA and edition details before purchase.
Historical Context
Created in 2016, the print draws directly on the visual language of post-war American romance comics and the Pop Art tradition that mined them — halftone dots, heavy black outlines and a flat yellow/purple colour scheme. The greaser pompadour and winged eye nod to mid-century teen-idol and pin-up archetypes, while the skulls fold in D*Face's recurring memento-mori theme. By this point Dean Stockton was an established figure in British street and urban contemporary art, having co-founded StolenSpace gallery and exhibited internationally, and works like this consolidated the comic-lovers-as-skeletons imagery that became a hallmark of his Established Era output.
FAQ
What does this print depict?
Two profiles in a romance-comic clinch, but rendered as grinning skulls — a blonde, winged-eyed female skull facing a purple-pompadoured male greaser skull — beneath a speech bubble reading 'Till Death Do Us (P)art.'
How large is the edition?
The edition size is 50.
What is the medium?
It is a screen print, produced in 2016.
Is the print signed and numbered?
D*Face limited prints are typically hand-signed and numbered by the artist, usually in pencil with a certificate of authenticity, though specific signature and numbering details should be confirmed for this example.
Who is D*Face?
D*Face is the British street and Pop artist Dean Stockton (b.1978, London), known for defacing comic-book romance, advertising and celebrity imagery with skulls and his winged-eyed 'D*Dog' motif. He co-founded the StolenSpace gallery in London.
Related Works
About the Artist
D*Face is the working name of Dean Stockton (b. 1978, London), a leading figure in British street art. He came up pasting stickers and posters across London in the early 2000s, then built a pop-fuelled visual language that defaces comic-book romance, advertising and celebrity iconography. Recurring motifs include his winged-eyed D*Dog, grinning skulls and doomed comic-strip lovers. His practice spans screenprints, hand-painted multiples, sculpture and large-scale murals worldwide, and he co-founded the StolenSpace gallery in London. His work satirises consumerism, power and our collective obsession with fame.
Collecting D*Face at Gauntlet Gallery
Where can I buy authentic D*Face prints?
Gauntlet Gallery offers an extensive, authenticated inventory of D*Face 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 D*Face prints?
Yes. New drops are released regularly across D*Face and other leading artists; see gauntlet.gallery for the latest inventory.