Spoiler alert: Part (or perhaps the entirety) of “Exit Through the Gift Shop” is likely a hoax.
Which makes sense, given that the film was directed (and possibly entirely conceived) by Banksy, the illusive street-artist whose career was forged by creating large-scale art pranks. Whether he did this one to sell a movie or just prove a point, it’s a doozey.
If the hoax theory holds, Banksy (with possible help from a baby-faced Shepard Fairey, who is also featured in the film) turned an unknown Frenchman (Thierry Guetta, essentially a street-art fan with a camera) into a bona fide art star, who scored the cover of LA Weekly, sold $1 million of work in the first weekend of his first show and was hired to do CD work for no-less a star than Madonna. So he’s big time.
Of course, the alternative (that Guetta achieved the success out of his own odd genius) is no less intriguing or miraculous, and either scenario leaves you questioning the very meaning of art in a consumer society. Guetta chooses Mr. Brainwash as his street-art name, and as you watch two douche bags deconstruct his work, you realize it’s apropos. No one knows quite why his work (which looks like a lot of other artists’ work and is actually created mostly by paid staff) is important or relevant or even aesthetically pleasing. It just is, because some one said so.
Which is the joke being played, here.
The first hour of the film is essentially a set up, with scenes of Guetta traveling around the world, scaling walls and filming cops to earn trust with the best and brightest in what is essentially an underground scene (Guetta and Banksy’s prank at Disneyland is golden). By the time we get to Banksy’s debut show in L.A., we begin to understand where this all might be going. Banksy becomes a commodity, to be collected alongside Picasso, because he’s dangerous and elusive (and European to boot) and his show is littered with celebrities like Brad Pitt and Jude Law. Suddenly street-art does not equal graffiti.
Of course, as Fairey says in the film, we don’t know whom the joke is really on. It could very well be Banksy and Fairey, for trusting Guetta in the first place (and then letting him loose on the world). Or, it could be the “recognized” art community, for elevating (and thus legitimizing) the importance of Guetta’s work based solely on hype. Or, maybe the joke is on us, the audience, who thought we were getting a rather straight-forward (though highly entertaining) street-art documentary? In any case, I’m still laughing.
(Editor’s note: Although no release date for the DVD version of the film has been announced, you can still catch the film at various theaters around California according to the official site. The next time you’ll be able to catch the film here in the Central Valley will be September 29th & 30th at the Visalia 10 in Visalia.
I was going into this film with some pretty high expectations and I have to say, Banksy delivered! A little more behind the technique of the street artists would have been nice but in the overall context of the film, maybe that would have been amiss. Nevertheless, a great film and a great review, sir!
Independent Film Series flyer says it's September 29 & 30 at Visalia 10.
Indeed you are right! Post has been updated.