Gauntlet Gallery
What is D*Face’s piece called “D*Tail (Grey)”
Summary
D*Tail (Grey) presents D*Face's signature D*Dog as a single oversized, bug-eyed cartoon head floating on a field of grey Ben-Day halftone dots, with one small angel wing at the left, a slit-eyed stare, and a grinning row of teeth below. A magnifying glass slides over the right side of the face, enlarging and warping the eye and ear beneath it — a literal play on the title "D*Tail" (detail), inviting the viewer to inspect the icon up close. It is a stripped-back, monochrome distillation of the artist's central motif from his Pop Provocation period.
Why It Matters
The print isolates the D*Dog — the winged-eyed mascot that runs through D*Face's entire body of work — and turns it into the subject of its own scrutiny. By laying the icon over Lichtenstein-style Ben-Day dots and dragging a magnifying glass across it, D*Face borrows the visual grammar of comic-book Pop Art while turning the lens on the act of looking itself: branding, examination, the close reading of an image we are conditioned to consume at a glance. Reduced to grey and black line, it strips away color spectacle and foregrounds the motif and the gag, which is exactly the kind of self-aware, consumer-culture commentary that defines D*Face's reputation as a pop provocateur.
Collector Perspective
With an edition of just 70, this sits at the scarce end of D*Face's screen-print output, where many releases run to 100, 150 or more. The appeal is motif-driven: the D*Dog is the artist's most recognizable and consistently sought-after image, and a clean, single-subject treatment of it reads well on a wall and photographs strongly for resale. The greyscale palette is a double-edged factor — it is graphically striking and pairs easily, but multicolor D*Dog editions and large showpiece works tend to command stronger prices among buyers chasing maximum visual punch. As a small-edition, on-brand image from a core period, it holds steady collector interest without being a marquee headline piece.
Historical Context
Made in 2013, during what is framed here as the Pop Provocation Era, the print draws directly on 1960s comic-book and advertising aesthetics — Roy Lichtenstein's halftone dots and bold outline most obviously — repurposed as street-art iconography. The D*Dog, with its angel wing and dripping/exaggerated eyes, had by this point become D*Face's calling card across walls, canvases and prints, descended from the skulls and doomed comic-strip lovers that populate his wider work. The magnifying-glass conceit and the "D*Tail" pun place it among his more playful, self-referential editions of the period.
FAQ
What does D*Tail (Grey) depict?
It shows a single large D*Dog head — D*Face's winged, bug-eyed cartoon mascot — on a field of grey halftone dots, with a magnifying glass passing over the right side of the face and enlarging the eye and ear beneath it. The title is a pun on 'detail.'
How large is the edition?
The edition size is 70.
What medium is it?
It is a screen print, rendered in greyscale black-and-grey line on cream paper.
Is it signed and numbered?
D*Face limited prints are typically hand-signed and numbered by the artist, usually in pencil. Buyers should confirm the signature and numbering on the specific copy on offer.
Who is D*Face?
D*Face is Dean Stockton (b. 1978, London), a British street and pop artist known for defacing 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.