Gauntlet Gallery
What is D*Face’s piece called “Street Improvements 4”
Summary
"Street Improvements 4" is a 2008 screen print staged as a faux vintage DIY advertisement: a bold "Street Improvements makes all the difference to the World" headline sits above a winged paint-tin/spray-can roundel marked with an X, with mock ad copy ("SAVE up to 1/2 the Time! for BETTER...EASIER...FASTER... PAINTING and PASTING..."), the dface.co.uk URL, a ladder-carrying workman in overalls, and an "Anywhere... Anytime!" inset. It is a clean piece of D*Face's early subvertising practice, turning the language of consumer advertising back on itself to frame street art's "painting and pasting" as a public service.
Why It Matters
The print sits squarely in the lineage of culture-jamming and subvertising that runs through British and American street art, weaponising the persuasive grammar of mid-century advertising, urgent headlines, time-saving promises, a branded logo, against the consumerism D*Face routinely satirises. By dressing graffiti and wheat-pasting up as a wholesome home-improvement product, it makes an argument about who is allowed to alter public space, and adds an early, self-aware promotional layer (the dface.co.uk URL) that documents the moment street artists were building their own brands online. The recurring winged motif ties it directly to D*Face's broader visual vocabulary.
Collector Perspective
With an edition of 79, this is a genuinely small run for a D*Face screen print, which supports scarcity but also means it surfaces infrequently and trades thinner than his larger pop-portrait editions. It is a text-and-logo subvertising piece rather than one of the marquee D*Dog or comic-lovers images that draw the broadest demand, so it appeals more to collectors who value early-era, concept-driven work than to those chasing his signature faces. Condition matters on the cream stock (toning and handling marks at the margins are common), and as part of a numbered "Street Improvements" series, set-completion buyers can add demand. Realistically a mid-tier holding: desirable for its small edition and early date, but not a blue-chip headline image.
Historical Context
Made in 2008, this falls in D*Face's early street era, when he and peers were moving fluidly between actual street interventions and the gallery/print market (he co-founded StolenSpace in 2005). The imagery deliberately apes period DIY and household-product advertising, condensed colour palette, exclamatory sales copy, a reassuring uniformed workman, to reframe illicit "painting and pasting" as a sanctioned improvement service. The embedded dface.co.uk web address roots it firmly in the late-2000s, when street artists used their own sites to build audience and sell directly, and the X-marked winged emblem connects it to the wider motif system running through his output.
FAQ
What does this D*Face print depict?
It is a parody of a vintage DIY/home-improvement advertisement. A bold headline reads 'Street Improvements makes all the difference to the World' above a winged paint-tin/spray-can roundel marked with an X, with mock sales copy ('SAVE up to 1/2 the Time! for BETTER...EASIER...FASTER... PAINTING and PASTING...'), the dface.co.uk URL, a workman carrying a ladder, and an 'Anywhere... Anytime!' inset box, all in a tan, black and salmon palette on cream stock.
How large is the edition?
The edition size is 79.
What medium is it?
It is a screen print (silkscreen), made in 2008.
Is it signed and numbered?
D*Face limited-edition prints are typically hand-signed and numbered by the artist, though this should be confirmed against the specific example and its certificate or pencil markings before purchase.
Who is D*Face?
D*Face is the British street artist Dean Stockton (b. 1978, London), a pop-art provocateur who defaces comic-book romance, advertising and celebrity imagery. His signature motifs include the winged-eyed 'D*Dog', grinning skulls and doomed comic-strip lovers, and he co-founded the StolenSpace gallery.
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.