Sierra Ardanche

No Flash Photography in the Gallery, Please

In the documentary, Exit Through the Gift Shop: A Banksy Film, the viewer is led on an adventure of many twists and turns through the world of street art. If you thought that street art was simply a platform for graffiti, do I have some news for you. The world of street art is so vast. The walls are seemingly endless as each artist takes their time on deciding how to create art that is strikingly their own. Some do it for fun, some do it as a memorial to lost friends and family,  and some want to make it big as artists in a thriving new platform.

The artist that truly begun the street art phenomenon is the artist known as Banksy. You may know him from his “Dismal Land” piece or other famous works that he has created around the world. He is mysterious and his film does not hide that fact. In every angle, his face is blurred and his voice is changed in every scene that he is featured in. Who is Banksy and why is his work so important today?

This documentary creates something special to the viewer. Where does the line between audience member and artist cross? Thierry Guetta (Mr. Brainwash) started out in the documentary as a novice filmmaker. He uses his camera to record many street artists as they mark up walls around Los Angeles. As the film continues to unfold, Banksy quickly comes into the film, making a sneaky but grand entrance. Thierry Guetta struck by Banksy’s art and is quickly willing to work with him and film him from behind on all of the art that he begins creating in Los Angeles. Banksy goes through with it and then finds himself becoming a mentor for a man that would start creating his own name to fame.

This documentary is entertaining in all of the right ways. With Banksy's snarky comments about Thierry Guetta, and watching Guetta’s antics pop onto the screen, the viewer is always entertained by the new twists and turns that each of the artists deals with. While this documentary is entertaining, it would be a disservice to not comment on how moving this almost Cinderella-esque story truly is. Thierry Guetta was simply a man behind a camera, stocking up on tapes that recorded hundreds of hours of footage of street artists coming together and creating in the late hours of the night into the early hours of the morning. It was through this journey of filmmaking (and through the motivational push from Banksy) that Thierry Guetta would become an artist himself, seemingly within a year. This documentary does an incredible job at illustrating the life that street artists have, and what it takes to become well-known within the world of modern and contemporary art.

Banksy is a name that may not be completely well-known. Sure, his work has been displayed around the globe, but it is not usually discussed in everyday conversation. What drew me in as a viewer was the idea of street art. Graffiti is displayed all over the country. I didn’t realize that it could be considered an entire art medium. However, after I watched this documentary, my eyes were opened to the fascinating world of street art and how it genuinely mixes with contemporary and modern art. The audience that this documentary was intended for was probably geared towards people who may have an interest in art, or who may know little to anything about modern art and what it means. This documentary was very easy to follow, even if the only introduction I have had into the art world is through my local gallery and my fifth-grade art class.

The viewer that finds an interest in this documentary may find that they do not completely understand the moral or the point of the story. This documentary seems to be filmed to not only give an introduction to the big artists of the street art medium but to also expand on the world that they have created. Andy Warhol is an artist that is significantly credited throughout this documentary because of the heavy influence he has had on Thierry Guetta’s art. This documentary does a spectacular job at introducing who these artists are and why their work is so appealing to the masses. While these artists are being explored, it also gives an inside look at what it takes to create an art show and how much work is truly involved. It takes dedication, hard work, and organization to be a successful artist and I think this documentary shows that very plainly.

This documentary was interesting due to the fact that it was taken from the point of view of Thierry Guetta and Banksy’s point of view. At the beginning, the viewer gets an inside look at Thierry’s life with his wife and family, his seemingly never-ending roll of film, and his passion for street art and its artists. Banksy comes into the documentary about midway through. When he begins to take over the point of view, we begin to see Thierry in a different light. He seems unorganized, manic, pretentious and a bit overwhelming. This film is interesting because it shows that anyone can make art and create it in their own unique ways, but that does not mean that everyone has to like it or enjoy it. While Banksy began the film as encouraging, he slowly became more and more resentful towards Thierry as the film drew closer to its end. However, it was still interesting to see the two different perspectives of artists throughout this film.

This film not only informed me on the lives of artists, but it has also expanded my horizons as an art enthusiast. I’m looking forward to looking at the street art that lines the walls and buildings of Wichita and supporting the city’s artists in any way that I can. I also learned that I am a bit of a Banksy fan after looking at all of the different work that he has created throughout the years. This documentary is informative, quirky and insightful for anyone who is looking into the art world and all that it has to deliver. If you want to watch this documentary, check it out on Netflix! Or check out the IMDB page here. When it comes to art, it is always to remember that there is always more than meets the eye.