Zarah Barkatullah
The World of Street Art
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 is. It highlights the relationship between the world of street art and the world of contemporary and pop art. With a note of irony that only street artist can provide, this film raises questions regarding issues such as the monetary valuation of artwork, the commercialization of street art, and the distribution of images. More importantly, Exit Through the Gift Shop underscores the pretentiousness of the contemporary art scene, exposing it for what it really is.
The film follows the life of Thierry Guetta, an eccentric yet amiable Frenchman who lives in Los Angeles and is passionate about filming every waking moment of his life. His chance introduction to the world of street art through his cousin, a fellow street artist called Space Invader, results in his obsession with filming and capturing many of the world's most infamous graffiti artists at work, on walls and in interview. Guetta expresses his passion for filming the street world "It was like more than any drugs to anybody. It was obsession. I like to capture those people because I thought it was nice what they were doing. You know, they really believe it. You know, they really loved it." After many attempts to locate and befriend the crowning jewel of street art himself, the elusive genius, Banksy, Thierry does so via another lucky break. Banksy agrees to let Guetta tag along on some of his operations, such as the kidnapping and brutal murder of a London phone booth, as long as Banksy’s face isn’t revealed. Over several years, Guetta amasses thousands of hours of footage of illicit nighttime stenciling, spray painting, and postering by the pros of the field. But when Banksy convinces him to use the footage to make the long-awaited movie, he discovers that Guetta is a lousy filmmaker. “He was maybe just somebody with mental problems who happened to have a camera,” Banksy comments in the film. So Banksy decides to use the footage and add additional material to make his own movie about Guetta's journey in this project. In the meantime, Mr. Guetta morphs into a street artist, inventing an alter ego called Mr. Brainwash and staging an opening exhibition in Los Angeles that turns him into an overnight sensation, all of which is captured in Exit Through the Gift Shop.