Exit Through the Gift Shop

It’d be impossible, or mindless to have a blog or even interest about Street Art and not know about “Exit Through the Gift Shop”.  “Exit Through the Gift Shop” was released in January 2010 and is an excellent documentary shadowing famous street artist “Banksy” and his many works. It is described as “modern art and celebrity put under the microscope.” A fundamental concept in beginning to understand street art and its culture.

“Exit Through the Gift Shop” offers an interesting perspective on the popularity of street art while examining the public’s interpretations of what modern art exactly is. The film follows the life of Thierry Guetta, an eccentric immigrant who develops a love for filming street artists. At the beginning of the film, Thierry is represented as sort of an odd, yet legitimate and successful business man. This original perception comes increasingly under question from the audience as they witness Thierry’s peculiar actions in what appears to be good-natured, kind of, incompetence.

 

The first half of the documentary is largely based around the underground culture of street artists, and the meaning and passion behind their work. It repeatedly mentions that it “needs to be captured” as it is commonly removed; an act displayed several times throughout the film. The film does a good job at examining the motivations behind street art in order to tear down the perception that it is largely just vandalism. Shots of events from Thierry’s life develop an emotional connection between him the viewer, which helps to legitimize what are essentially thought of as crimes.

The second half of the movie revolves around Thierry’s final spiral into an “artist” himself. Many characters begin dropping the subtlety act about Thierry’s odd persona, going as far as directly calling him incompetent, crazy, etc. It’s in stark contrast to the beginning of the film, and underscores what I believe is a completely different message entirely. What is art, and who defines what good art is? The contrast between Thierry’s humorously awkward splattering of paint and Banksy’s politically-charged works is apparent.

As the end nears, it really seems that the documentary is challenging public perceptions of art and the “art scene.” Thierry makes millions of dollars (entirely from the works of others and in spite of himself) simply by offering eccentric commentary on “his” creations to pretentious onlookers. Even Thierry’s adopted name, “Mr. Brainwash,” seems like a subtle remark on the events. The real artists featured earlier in the movie openly question the “idiots” who bought into the whole ordeal. It seemed as if everything up to that point had been a satirical commentary on the state of modern, publicly acceptable “art” in contrast to “real” art on the streets. It’s subtle and is never explicitly stated, but that’s also what makes it effective.

Mr. Brainwash Exhibit: Tres Punts Galeria

Initially born in France and a later resident in Los Angeles, the artist Thierry Guetta (Paris, 1966), who would later be more commonly known as Mr. Brainwash, is today a worldwide icon in urban art. From his initial creations in Los Angeles in 2006 until today, Mr. Brainwash has exhibited in cities such as New York, Miami, Toronto, Los Angeles, London or Cape Town, has worked for Madonna and Michael Jackson, to name a few, and starred in a documentary directed by another famous icon of urban art, Banksy titled “Exit Through the Gift Shop”.

Mr. Brainwash is arguably the most notable street artist of our time. It is fundamental to be familiar with his work if one has any interest in street or urban art whatsoever. His work, no matter the size is equally transcendent and influencial with hidden meaning and messages behind each. His response to interview conducted by PAPERMAG as to why he is called “Mr. Brainwash” just about says it all.

“Mr. Brainwash was invented around the early ’90s. When you watch TV, when you buy clothes, when you come to a bar or a club, when you do anything, how do you get there? Everything’s brainwashing, and I used to take any kind of brand and twist it. I would take Nike, and I’d make the logo exactly the same, but with an arrow, and I’d write under it, “Just did it.” Instead of Kids ‘R’ Us, I’d put Boys Are Nuts. I couldn’t use my name when I started doing street art, so I remembered Mr. Brainwash and decided to use it. At first, I didn’t sign anything, but little by little I started signing MBW.”

On November 14th 2014, through January 17 2015, his most representative works will be exhibited for the first time in Spain, at 3 Punts Galeria in Barcelona. Among which, are featured unique pieces on canvas, card and paper in various formats, and made especially for this show. A series of unique works embodying some of the most loved and missed symbols of the city such as  “Copito de Nieve” a statue resembling Barcelona Zoo’s albino gorilla, “Snowflake” who died in 2003, and a silk screen print that represents FC Barcelona’s best players from the past till present day. It’s rare that a street artist’s works are compiled for an exhibit. Usually, they’re left as they are, on walls sporadically placed throughout different cities. Also, it’s rare for a street artist’s identity alone to be exposed in such a high profile or obvious way. Needless to say this opportunity was iconic for Barcelona and for Europe as a whole where street art is so prevalent yet street artists remain, for the most part, anonymous.