Exit Through The Gift Shop

Exit Through the Gift Shop

            In this documentary we saw a lot of street art and how it is created. We saw the way that some street artists use Pop Art intertwined in their street art. Theirry Guetta (a.k.a. Mr. Brainwash), did a lot of Pop Art meets street art pieces. To me, the biggest difference between Pop Art and street art is that Street Art is meant to be shown on the actual street, and for the public to see without purposefully going to see it or purchase it. Pop Art however, is more of a fine art movement, which is meant to be seen in a gallery. Pop Art is also usually just created with the technique of screen printing, while street art can be made with screen printing, graffiti, installations, and various other techniques. However, both arts are similar in that they usually are meant to evoke a thought about society and culture that is currently happening.

            In Exit Through The Gift Shop, I was very confused about what the film’s premise was. Before watching the film I was under the impression it was a documentary about Banksy and street art in general. Yet as I watched I found that it was really about Thierry/Mr. Brainwash.

            Seeing as both Thierry and Banksy’s film and interviews were in the movie, it makes me wonder if the whole movie was set up. The more I think about it, the more I see how the movie could be its own piece of art, presented to the World by Banksy for us to try to decipher. Many people are curious about Banksy, so Banksy gave us something to work with. Yet in doing so, Banksy in a way is making fun of us as viewers of art, who will eat up anything that is referred to as art that has a big price tag on it. He’s also making fun of “artists” who take other people’s work and do not add a lot of creativity to it, and “artists” who just suddenly start doing art, without having a real reason or motivation behind it. Banksy is calling out fake art and fake art followers and showing them in an unflattering light in the form of Mr. Brainwash.

            If the story of Thierry and Banksy is actually true, Banksy as a producer did well to take that story and share it in a way that expresses his concern over copycat artistry and the self-centeredness of some artists.