[Howard Johnson]

I stumbled across a similar thread in the Faile section and thought I'd start one here. With D's most recent releases I've seen a lot of people complaining about how the "don't get" his style, or talking negatively about his work in general. Here's just a few thoughts about why I love his work. 

First, he obviously borrows heavily from Warhol and Lichtenstein, but the homages he uses are expertly aimed to not only celebrate what came before him, but also criticize the glorification of americana and consumerism that the pop art movement was known for. For instance, in his "No More Heroes" print, he pays tribute and celebrates the visual style of Lichtenstein, while at the same time deconstructing one of the greatest symbols of capitalism/western culture, Superman. The morbidly rotting superman is more emblematic of what the symbol truly represents; a figure that claims freedom and prosperity (America), but it truly a harbinger of greed and destruction. This theme is also evident in "Pop Tart," where he juxtaposes a recognizable symbol of glamor with the darker side of celebrity: death and emptiness. These homages are simultaneously an acknowledgment of the amazing visual style of the pop art movement, and a giant middle finger from our generation. 

Secondly, his print work boosts a precision that is truly remarkable. Our generation of print collectors constantly takes pride in heavily hand finished work. We (somewhat rightfully) believe that the rougher a print is the closer it is to an OG, and thus more valuable. While D has done some pieces like this, the majority his print work takes the opposite approach - focusing on precision. His early screen prints are thick and precise, giving his work a clean look that I have rarely seen done at the same caliber. Furthermore, the care he gives to his screen prints make them feel like separate and distinct works, as opposed to simply reproducing an original image. For instance, Banksy's prints are great, but they are simply stripped down reproductions of his street works (for the most part). The history behind Banksy will always trump D*face, but at the end of the day Banksy's prints come off as static and fairly simplistic. Conversely, D's prints are immediately arresting and almost jump off the wall and demand to be examined. 

Obviously, I am a biased fan. I love pop art and horror, so maybe is just the combination of those elements that draws me in to his work. However, I think that his work has a lot to say about the movements that came before him and embodies a visual style distinct to our generation. I'm interested to see what draws other people to his work, so please post your thoughts below. 

[Deleted]

Wow you have a great ability for understanding the art and it's meanings. To me most of the time it's pretty pictures!