Day 32: Exit Through the Gift Shop

A lot of people have been telling me to watch 'Exit Through the Gift Shop', so I thought I'd finally sit down for it. I was gravely disappointed.

Bansky's pieces are equal parts whimsy and social commentary


So the film's supposed to be about Banksy, the awesome street artist who keeps his identity a secret. We all can agree the movie was marketed as a movie about Banksy, right? Well it's not.

It's about this French dude named Thierry Guetta who enjoys following around graffiti artists and filming them as they work. He works with some well known artists (including Shepard Fairey, famous for the iconic Obama print used in the 2008 election), but really wants to meet Banksy.

Shepard is also responsible for this famous "Obey" piece featuring Andre the Giant

To make a boring story short, he meets Banksy, mildly impresses him, and is inspired to start making art. So he goes and makes his own art and throws together a giant show and then makes almost 1 million dollars by selling his work to art snobs in California. End of movie.

What I learned: Next to nothing. In lieu of facts or information, the film hoped we'd be utterly enthralled with the wacky zaniness of Guetta ("Oh my god, look at his mustache! I love how he sits on tables instead of in chairs! So creative!").

What I liked: What they showed of Banksy, in limited interviews and footage, was awesome. I've been a fan of his work for a few years, and I was really happy to see he was as intelligent and funny as I assumed he'd be. Whether or not it was intentional, the film did an awesome job of contrasting the absurdity of Guetta with the directness and intelligence of Banksy.

What I didn't like: Didn't like the main character. It's tough when the whole film rests on his shoulders. I found him boring, conceited and very pompous. The dude spent all his time hanging out with his friends, pretending to be an artist, living this young man's life, and he had a wife and kids at home! I'd love to hear more about what they thought when he decided to remortgage his business to fund his art show.

What really bugged me is that he never had no real reason to make art. Art is based in expression; a medium to share thoughts, opinions, emotions, something. Guetta wanted to be famous, he wanted to be widely discussed, and he thought being an artist would be the easiest way to get there. By doing so he's discredited the already shaky world of street art by showing it can be just as shallow as any other art form.

Here's a couple of things the film could have focused on:
-The role of street art in traditional art. What do other artists think about graffiti? Do they look down on it, or applaud it?
-How things have changed for Banksy since he became a superstar in the art world. I would assume he's hated the extra attention, but if anonymity was really his goal, why would he put up a huge show in LA, star in this film, guest on the Simpsons, etc? Which leads us to-
Why the need for protecting his identity? To hide from the law? To protect his friends and family? To allow the public attention to stay focused on his art? I thought at the film would at least touch on this, allowing him to state directly his desire for privacy.

So, don't see this one (it's on netflix). Go look up some of Bansky's work instead. Or, look into Hanksy.

Post Script: So reading some articles on line, I've found multiple theories which believe this is a mokumentary /prankumentary. Some believe Guetta is actually a character made up by Banksy, which would be awesome. I would be a much happier person knowing that artists like Guetta weren't real.