I didn’t know how to feel about ‘Exit
Through The Gift Shop’. Being a person who is passionate about art I was a
little unsettled and began to question everything I think about art.
At the beginning of the documentary, the
audience are introduced to a man named Thierry Guetta who is a film maker and
documents moments in life that will never be looked at the same again, like his
child’s birthday, a laugh or cry. This I admire. He captures moments of awe in
his life; art. He then goes on to document the ‘behind the scenes’ works of
street artists, claiming to be creating a documentary. He then does nothing
with tapes, without a thought to look at them again. When it comes down to the
biggest names in street art, Banksy, Thierry is star struck and does everything
for him. When he was asked when the documentary would be finished, he panicked
and threw together a disaster. Banksy told him to go and “create (his) own
art”. Thierry took this as become a street artist.
He called himself “Mr. Brainwash”. All of
his art was copied and mutated existing art. Using quotes about his debut show
from Bansky and other big name artists, Thierry had created a over the top show
with typical street art that had been taken and changed. Banksy took this as an
insult to the name of street art, where Thierry had broken all the rules and
taken no note of procedure as many other artists have had a journey through.
However, Banksy, confused says “there are no rules in street art”.
Later after discussing the documentary with
other students, I came to learn that Thierry was just a character, Mr.
Brainwash was just a character; characters Banksy had created for the documentary.
I questioned what this tells me about Art. That its essentially a joke? That
anything can be art, we are told what to like, what to think; anyone can
produce art, art is becoming copies, the same, uncreative. I derived that
Banksy is outlining a problem in the art world. I took it as a message that new
and modern art is all beginning to look the same and originality and creativity
is becoming a rarity. Creativity is too much of an effort for people who want
recognition fast. Anything new and different will be tossed to the side years
before people are able to tilt their heads to the side and recognize the beauty
of it.
And I look around and see this even in my
world. Banksy has it correct.
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