On Monday evening the much-anticipated Drips & Runs X Tate event finally took place at the prestigious Tate Modern, one of the World’s leading contemporary art institutions. It is fantastic to see that such globally recognized premier institutions are finally beginning to acknowledge the place Street Art & Graffiti deserves in the canon of Modern Art History, especially when one considers that this very gallery removed the Banksy work placed up on its premises in 2001. Whilst arguably the fact that Street Art is becoming more mainstream and accepted by such galleries and institutions detracts from the subversive dynamic of Street Art, we however see this as a positive achievement in the realm of Street Art. In the process presenting such works to a wider audience and demonstrating that the scholars are at last beginning to appreciate the role this most democratic expression of artistic output offers the world.

This project came about after members of the Tate Collective London caught a previous Drips & Runs online event, which was held in conjunction with Gums & Tongues, and they decided to invite the Drips & Runs team along to collaborate on an event live from the premises.

Drips & Runs is the brainchild of duo Seeds One and Bill Daggs and first went live in February 2015. For those of you unfamiliar with the format of Drips & Runs the idea is for a group of artists to get together for a process of working their own individual styles and setting the works to tie in as a cohesive whole, free of egos this isn’t a competition or a battle, but is a platform for the creation of an organic and spontaneous collaborative mural, anyone involved can paint what they want.

Tate Collective London offers opportunities to young people aged 15-25 to work collaboratively with artists to exchange ideas across a multitude of art platforms across the Tate Britain and Tate Modern, often in relation to the Tate’s various collections and exhibitions.

This wall marks the largest work created from a Drips & Runs event, as well as comprising the most artists working in one session, with fifteen artists contributing to this visual extravaganza, and all created in the shortest time period for a Drips & Runs collaboration. The artists on the roster included; Ali Hamish, The Real Dill, Himbad, Fanakapan, Captain Kris, Obit, Pang, SAKI&Bitches, Six1Six, Tony Boy, Amara Por Dios, Flesh031, Bill Daggs and Tate Collective London member Clara Bacou, as well as additions from Seeds One and a few paste-ups sent in to the Drips & Runs team, which were printed on the premises and added to the wall adding a collage dynamic to the piece. This magnificent line-up represents a diverse range of styles and subjects in their own individual works, which really makes it all the more impressive to witness this wall and see how harmoniously the works fuses together.

The event was put on with the artists working in response to the current ‘The World Goes Pop’  exhibition at the Tate Modern, which sets to explore Pop Art from around the globe whilst interlinked in focus, portrays different approaches and styles from the varying cultures and countries which produced it. Drawing attention to the key themes inherent in Pop Art, be they consumerism and consumption, mass-production, political protest or folk culture, showcasing the inherent sense of subversive defiance prevalent through the movement. It is for three reasons that Street Art is the most appropriate manner in which to provide this response to Pop Art, firstly the influence Pop Art has had on many Street Artists, secondly the fundamentally subversive dynamic prevalent in both art forms and thirdly for us Street Art represents the largest global art movement since Pop Art in the 1960s and 1970s.

For the event the artists were working with pens and a  CMYK colour model, mixing all colours seen in the work on site. This stems from the process used in colour printing. It is always a pleasure to witness the casual manner in which the artists at any Drips & Runs event (be it seen in person or online) create their joint works so harmoniously, with no sign of overriding egos throughout the process, just a group of artists having fun and feeding off of each others creativity and on this occasion all in a location not often home to the realm of practicing Street Artists. Sadly the wall was only open to the public for one day in the Tate, before being replaced by the next event in the space, however this also reflects most appropriately on the ephemeral and transient nature fundamentally associated with Street Art and the works these artists create in public, here today, gone tomorrow. Needless to say the wall is just jaw-dropping when viewed, you really can’t decide where to focus, just so much going on and all brilliant.

When we caught up with Drips & Runs founders Seeds One & Bill Daggs on Tuesday at the Tate Modern, the duo were ecstatic with the work that all involved had created, and when asked whether there was anything they would like to add to our post on the event, Bill Daggs simply stated “we came, we saw, we conquered,”  you really can’t say fairer than that, very much the case. They also wished to thank all those from the Tate Collective London team who helped to make this happen. It is only fair to say well done to the Drips & Runs team and all the talented artists who took part, who really did the London Street Art scene proud and to say well done to the Tate Collective London for affording the opportunity for such an event and Street Art the place it deserves in the realm of contemporary art.

Right, we have lots of pictures here for you, but there really is just so much to see and this is certainly a work that warrants it. To all the artists involved, apologies for any wrongful or lack of appropriate credit in the detail shots, but even with watching the event online it really is impossible to keep up with all the collaborative additions in the piece, that really accentuate the very definition of what is beautiful about Drips & Runs.

The incredible finished wall – Part 1.

The incredible finished wall – Part 2.

The incredible finished wall – Part 3.

Detail of work by Tony Boy & Fanakapan.

Detail of work by Fanakapan, always a magnificent sight to behold.

Detail of work by Himbad.

Detail of work by Himbad. We alawys live the finer touches that go into the eyes of Himbad’s delightful characters.

Detail of work by Six1Six & Pang.

Detail of work by Captain Kris & The Real Dill.

Detail of work by The Real Dill.

Detail of work by The Real Dill, Pang, Amara Por Dios & Fanakapan.

Detail of work by Pang & Amara Por Dios, with a superb blending of the artists work.

Detail of work bySAKI&Bitches & Fanakapan. This was our favorite part of the epic work, with SAKI&Bitches’ character laying upon Fanakapan’s incredible 3D helium balloon.

One of several paste-ups printed live at the event from images sent in by online viewers.

Detail of work by Fanakapan.

Detail of work by Six1Six & Flesh031.

Detail of work by Clara Bacou & Ali Hamish.

Detail of work by Clara Bacou.

Detail of work by Ali Hamish.

Detail of work by Bill Daggs.

Detail of work by Himbad.

Detail of work by Bill Daggs, Amara Por Dios, Himbad, Obit & Six1Six.

Detail of work by Amara Por Dios & Obit.

Detail of work by Obit.

Detail of work by Amara Por Dios.

Detail of work by Amara Por Dios.

Detail of work by Amara Por Dios, Himbad, Obit & Six1Six & SAKI&Bitches. 

Detail of work by SAKI&Bitches, Captain Kris, Fanakapan & Flesh031.

Detail of work by SAKI&Bitches, Captain Kris, Fanakapan, Pang & Flesh031.

Detail of work by SAKI&Bitches, with our favourite individual character painted on the wall, which really has such a strong Pop Art theme about it.

Detail of work by Captain Kris.

Detail of work by Fanakapan.

Detail of work by Fanakapan.

Detail of work by Pang & Flesh031.

Detail of work by Pang.

Detail of work by Pang & Flesh031.

Telling it like it is!

Detail of work by Pang.

Detail of work by Seeds One, Himbad & Obit.

Detail of work by Pang & Himbad.

Detail of work by Pang & HImbad.

Not sure who drew this addition, but love it, very nice final touch on the edge of the work.

The full work from the superb event.

If you missed the event be sure to head to www.dripsandruns.com for more information on their work and check out the highlights reel that will be live there and added here over the coming days.