Gauntlet Gallery
What is D*Face’s piece called “Hate (Silver)”
Summary
A monochrome silver-and-black screen print in which the word HATE is stacked in two rows of bold serif capitals (HA over TE), with the tilted A directly quoting the canted O of Robert Indiana's 1960s LOVE icon. By swapping LOVE for HATE, D*Face hijacks one of the most reproduced images in American pop art and flips its sentiment, a characteristic act of appropriation that sits alongside his comic-strip lovers and grinning skulls in his Early Street Era output.
Why It Matters
The print works because it weaponises instant recognition: almost everyone reads Indiana's LOVE layout before they read the actual letters, so the reveal of HATE lands as a deliberate gut-punch. It is a concise statement of D*Face's core method, taking a sentimental, commercialised piece of mass culture and defacing it to expose the darker undercurrent beneath feel-good consumer imagery. Within his catalogue it pairs the Subversive Romance theme (the LOVE source) with Skulls and Mortality cynicism, compressing his whole project into four letters.
Collector Perspective
An edition of 50 from 2006 places this firmly among D*Face's scarcer early prints, predating the larger runs that came with his later commercial rise. The Indiana LOVE-parody concept is one of his more conceptually pointed images and reads strongly on a wall, which supports demand, though as a tonal silver-and-black work it lacks the colour pop of his neon comic pieces, so it tends to appeal to collectors who value the idea over decorative impact. Early-era D*Face with a small edition has a solid secondary-market following, but a single specific title like this surfaces infrequently, so pricing is set more by individual sales than by a deep, liquid run of comps.
Historical Context
The composition is a direct riff on Robert Indiana's LOVE, first realised in the mid-1960s and endlessly reproduced as prints, stamps and public sculpture. Made in 2006, during D*Face's Early Street Era when he was building a name out of London street work and the StolenSpace gallery scene, the print belongs to a wave of street-art appropriation that mined 20th-century pop and advertising for material to subvert. Recasting a peace-and-love emblem as HATE fit the period's mood of disillusionment with consumer optimism.
FAQ
What does this print depict?
The word HATE set in bold serif capitals stacked in two rows, HA over TE, with a tilted A. The layout deliberately copies Robert Indiana's famous LOVE design, substituting HATE to invert the original's meaning.
What is the edition size?
The edition is 50.
What medium is it?
It is a screen print, produced in 2006, in metallic silver and black tones.
Is it signed and numbered?
D*Face limited-edition prints are typically hand-signed and numbered, though signing and numbering on this specific example should be confirmed from the actual sheet.
Who is D*Face?
D*Face is the British street artist Dean Stockton (b. 1978, London), a pop-art provocateur known for defacing comic-book romance, advertising and celebrity imagery, his winged-eyed D*Dog and skull motifs, and for co-founding 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.