Banksy belongs to Britain like tea or the Tower Bridge. Since several years his pastings and paintings enrich the city and surprise the passengers on and on. Not just in Britain, but worldwide. Now he came out with the street art documentary Exit Through the Gift Shop, directed by himself, and co-directed by another street art star Shepard Fairey.
Besides being a great watch and must-see movie, it opens a very interesting discussion: What happens when fame, money and vandalism collide?
But the real question is: Is Mr. Brainwash a new art piece of Banksy? Or is MBW the real Banksy?
The movie tells a story of Thierry Guetta, a French-born ex-pat living in L.A., who was obssesive with filming everything with his handycam. Someday he caught up with street artist like Shepard Fairey, Invader and Banksy and filmed their creative work. everyday, nonstop. After a suggestion of Banksy, MBW ends up making street art himself. He commercializes it in a big way, a gets famous almost over night, selling pieces for half a million. Even the LA Times caught attension of MBW’s first artshow in 2008.
Banksy is known for teasing his audience, toying with authority, and continually pulling the wool over people’s eyes to stage unexpected stunts. In the past, the artist has both mythologised and subverted his own image, so the film could raise as many questions as it answers.
After watching the movie, you cannot take it as it is, but you HAVE to ask yourself what the real message is. And which part is real, and which is art. There are several hints, that give the audience a chance to rethink the plot. Alissa Walker had made great effort revealing her thoughts on the whole topic in her blog post at Fast Company.
The topic is not limited to street art and the great spoof of Banksy and his accomplice Fairey, though. In times of virtual realities and avatars, the dilution of both worlds steps ahead, and the questioning of given facts gets more relevant then ever. First known and public example of that phenomenon was Lonelygirl15.
And if money enters the game and a whole new level will be reached. After the first Urban Art Auction in the Bonhams auction, Banksy’s ‘Laugh Now’ was the most expensive piece, reaching £228,000. Brad and Angelina allegedly spent £200,000 on a Banksy, while Christina Aguilera splashed out £25,000 for a few prints. Banksy answering on his website:
I don’t agree with auction houses selling street art – it’s undemocratic, it glorifies greed and I never see any of the money.
What happens is that a somewhat sureal and parallel world opens up, where vandalist street art gets exclusive and … unrelevant. the message blurs out. the price and the show around gets more attention than the critique pointed at in the pieces. In the end you have to know about Bankys before you wathc the movie to get to know Banksy in the movie. This whole development in the art scene and street art in general has led him to do the movie. To hold up a mirror and show the world what is going wrong from his point of view. And he does it in his way. Subversive and unexpected, also funny and realistic. It’s a real Banksy.
Cover photo from Neu Black.
