Gauntlet Gallery
What is D*Face’s piece called “Riot”
Summary
"Riot" depicts D*Face's signature yellow winged "D*Dog" halo behind a cartoon hand clutching a classic glass cola bottle reworked into a Molotov cocktail, a lit fuse flaming from its neck. The copy "I need a... Riot" sits above the word "ENJOY," directly hijacking Coca-Cola's advertising script and turning the world's most recognizable consumer brand into an emblem of revolt - a concise example of D*Face's brand-defacing pop satire.
Why It Matters
The print compresses D*Face's central argument into one image: the machinery of advertising can be flipped against itself. By swapping a soft drink for a petrol bomb and keeping the seductive cursive lettering and "Enjoy" tagline intact, he stages the collision between consumer comfort and political unrest that defines his "Pop Provocation" output. It sits in the lineage of Warhol's bottle imagery and the culture-jamming tradition, but with a sharper, street-bred edge - the soda bottle as a literal incendiary device. The winged motif anchors it firmly to his recognizable visual vocabulary while the Molotov delivers his recurring themes of power, protest and the weaponizing of commercial language.
Collector Perspective
With an edition of just 32, this is one of D*Face's tighter screen-print runs, well below the 100-to-300 sizes common for his more widely distributed editions, which gives it genuine scarcity within his catalog. The imagery is strong on two counts collectors look for: the instantly readable brand-parody concept and the prominent D*Dog wings that signal authorship at a glance. It overlaps the desirable Coca-Cola-parody and "riot/Molotov" subject lines that recur across his work and tend to hold interest. As a small-edition piece it surfaces less frequently than his larger runs, so condition, signature and numbering will matter when one does appear; pricing should be judged against confirmed comparable sales rather than assumed from the low edition number alone.
Historical Context
Produced in 2009, the work lands during D*Face's most prolific brand-subversion period and amid the post-2008 financial-crisis mood, when imagery of consumer products turned into instruments of protest carried obvious resonance. It draws on Coca-Cola's mid-century advertising - the contour bottle, the cursive logo and the "Enjoy" slogan - while the Molotov cocktail references the visual shorthand of street uprising. The piece reflects the era when D*Face, having co-founded StolenSpace gallery, was consolidating the satirical pop language that defaces advertising and celebrity iconography.
FAQ
What does this D*Face print depict?
A cartoon hand holding a classic glass cola bottle that has been turned into a Molotov cocktail, with a lit flaming fuse at the neck, set against a red ground with D*Face's yellow winged D*Dog halo. The text reads 'I need a... Riot' above the word 'ENJOY,' parodying Coca-Cola's advertising.
How large is the edition?
The edition size is 32, making it one of D*Face's smaller and scarcer screen-print runs.
What is the medium?
It is a screen print, produced in 2009.
Is it signed and numbered?
D*Face limited prints are typically hand-signed and numbered by the artist, though this should be confirmed against the specific example and its documentation.
Who is D*Face?
D*Face is Dean Stockton (b.1978, London), a British street and pop artist known for defacing advertising, comic-book and celebrity imagery with motifs like the winged-eyed D*Dog and grinning skulls. 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.