A Foot in the Door: RUN and Dscreet

From 28th June to 25th July, the Cock 'n' Bull gallery and Street Art London will host a major collaboration between world-renowned street artists RUN and Dscreet. A Foot in the Door: RUN and Dscreet will juxtapose wall paintings with drawings, painting and sculpture, leading the viewer to reassess the role of environment and context in contemporary art.

RUN is a London based Italian street artist whose works can be seen adorning street corners from China to Senegal. His recognisable style shows a level of detail and complexity rarely seen in street art today, evidenced through his vivid rendering of interlocking hands and faces in bright, arresting colours. RUN is interested in street art as a language of communication, creating playful characters that speak to diverse audiences on multiple levels. The expansive scale of his works captivates the viewer, affecting a renaissance of muralism that reaches beyond the boundaries of street art.

Dscreet is an Australian street artist whose signature owl characters have been a mainstay on the London street art scene for years. Transitioning from the graffiti scene, his artistic alter ego is inspired by cartoon and comic imagery. On a deeper level, he explores the owl as a symbol of perception that lends itself to multifarious interpretations in many different cultures worldwide. Dscreet is also a talented filmmaker, and will exhibit a new film in the gallery during the show.

Initially brought together to work on the outer doors of Tramshed, RUN and Dscreet have come together once more to reframe their work and explore ideas of interiority and exteriority in the art world today. Questioning how street art is perceived by bringing their work into the gallery, they play with the concept of the door as a literal means of crossing from one space into another and as a metaphor for changing perceptions. Turning their practice inside out, their work leads a viewer to see beyond the surface.

At the entrance to the exhibition is a door on which RUN and Dscreet have collaborated. Framing the exhibition and marking the transition from the exterior to interior space, this door invites viewers to walk through to the other side, entering into a thought provoking space where paintings collide with murals. The exhibition will also include two new limited edition screen print editions from the artists that will be on sale in the gallery and through Salted Prints.

On the 27th July, the exhibition becomes the backdrop for a totally unique experience. Diners will gather in the gallery, where the art comes out of the frame, off the walls and onto the plate. HIX LIX art dinners allow diners to enjoy a four course bespoke menu created by Mark Hix and his team in reflection of the work on display. This is a new, exciting way to engage with art and food; an opportunity to do something out of the ordinary.