Gauntlet Gallery
What is D*Face’s piece called “Popping Tops - Riot”
Summary
"Popping Tops - Riot" is a tightly cropped, photo-real rendering of a crimson bottle cap, its crimped steel edge dented and its surface weathered with scuffs and rust flecks, carrying the single word "Riot" in flowing white vintage script where a soft-drink brand would normally sit. It belongs to D*Face's "Popping Tops" series, in which the artist hijacks the comforting visual language of mid-century beverage packaging to spike consumer nostalgia with words of unrest and protest.
Why It Matters
The piece distills D*Face's core move: take an instantly familiar piece of branded Americana — the cola/soda bottle cap — and weaponise it so the object meant to sell contentment instead reads "Riot." The careful aging (scratches, oxidation, the bent crimp) lends it the patina of a found mid-century artefact, which makes the swap from brand name to protest slogan land harder. It is a compact statement on how advertising packages desire and how easily that same packaging can be turned against the system that built it, sitting squarely in the Pop-art lineage of Warhol's commodities but with a sharper political edge.
Collector Perspective
The "Popping Tops" caps are a recognised D*Face concept and the single-word, single-object composition reads strongly on a wall, which helps demand. With edition size and medium unconfirmed here, value hinges on confirming those details — a hand-signed, numbered screen print in a tight run sits well above an open or offset reproduction. The 2018 date places it in the artist's established, commercially active period, where his prints have a liquid secondary market but rarely command the premiums of his earliest StolenSpace-era work. A buyer should verify signature, numbering and medium before pricing, and treat the bold graphic and clean concept as the main drivers of desirability.
Historical Context
The bottle cap directly references the visual grammar of 1950s–60s American soft-drink branding — the crimped tin crown, the swashed script logo — the same commodity imagery the original Pop artists mined. By 2018 D*Face was an established studio artist (he co-founded the StolenSpace gallery in London) well past his early street phase, and the "Popping Tops" works fit his long-running practice of defacing advertising and consumer iconography. Setting the word "Riot" in place of a brand turns a nostalgic object into a comment on consumerism and civic unrest, consistent with his War & Power and Consumerism & Branding themes.
FAQ
What does this print depict?
A close-up, photo-realistic crimson bottle cap with a crimped, slightly dented metal edge and a weathered, scuffed surface, carrying the word "Riot" in white vintage-style script where a soft-drink brand name would normally appear.
Is it signed and numbered?
D*Face limited-edition prints are typically hand-signed and numbered by the artist, though the signature and numbering on this specific work are unconfirmed and should be verified against the physical piece and its certificate.
What is the edition size?
The edition size for this release is not confirmed in our records. Buyers should confirm the run size from the certificate of authenticity or the publisher before purchase.
What medium is it?
The medium is unconfirmed. D*Face works of this kind are commonly screen prints, but this should be verified directly before purchase.
Who is D*Face?
D*Face is Dean Stockton (b. 1978, London), a British street and Pop artist who defaces comic-book romance, advertising and celebrity imagery to satirise consumerism, power and fame. His signature motifs include the winged-eyed D*Dog and grinning skulls, and 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.