Exit Through the Gift Shop

Although I found “Exit Through the Gift Shop” fascinating, I also found it agitating. Like many things in our society nowadays, Terry Guetta transformed this unique art sense into a commercial fad in which he looked to capitalize off of. This once anonymous form of expression has now been so highly publicized that it, like many other things, has become commercialized. Furthermore, Guetta’s lame attempt at becoming a street artist himself just further infuriated me. His ideas were none of his own, and subpar in comparison to that of Bansky or Shepherd Fairy. Guetta did nothing more then slightly alter the works of a true artistic genius, Andy Warhol, and then had the audacity to claim them as his own. Anyone with the slightest base of art knowledge could easily recognize this blatantly obvious imitation, and would most likely quickly write him off as an impostor. In addition to these points, Guetta’s story didn’t quite add up in my opinion. As the critical reviews pointed out, where did Guetta get the financial means to support his curiousity in this art form, among other shady details. Unlike the artists who are involved with street art because it is truly their passion, Guetta got involved for the recognition and fame that he hoped would come as a result.

Going off this point, artists like Banksy, that prefer to remain anonymous prove their true passion they possess for this form of art. They are inspired by the appreciation they receive, and in no means are in search of fame or even fortune in some cases. It seems as if these artists, from beginner to advanced, are just looking for means of sharing their artwork and innovative ideas, as opposed to making a fortune off it. I truly believe that the passion artists like Banksy and Shepherd Fairy have for street art, their work directly reflected this, and it created absolute masterpieces. When someone is truly compassionate about something, particularly art, their level of intensity and dedication is obviously visible, making it a masterpiece naturally, unlike MBW’s forced and contrived pieces of work. From here, Banksy has made a fortune off of his pieces, inspired from his passion, not his craving for fame and fortune.

Similar to that of reality television shows, the authenticity of these street artists only exist for so long. As on these shows, the first scene typically demonstrates the most genuine view of these characters as real people. By the second season, the pressures from society and directors spin the reality, cultivating it to better suit and meet their needs and wants. Suddenly, the reality of these characters seem less authentic, and instead, they become forced and seemingly staged characters playing themselves. In this way, street artists such as Bansky and Sheperd seem to have followed in this direction. Their art, once inspired by their creative designs and motivated by passion, now comes with a price tag. Their faceless existence has developed its own image, made known international via the internet.

To continue on this concept, the most currently relative example is the Rebecca Black phenomenon. If anyone was ever in search for an example of the power of the internet as a medium to quickly and efficiently reach the masses, this is the prime example. This mediocre video rose from 4,000 YouTube views to over 2 million in less than three days. Two days after that, Lady Gaga even mentioned Black, who just five short days earlier had been a no-name thirteen year old singer. The fact that the internet holds such great power is incredible and frightening all at the same time. Countries have organized revolts via Facebook, private government information has been casually leaked, and all through the internet.

Not to go off on a tangent about the internet - although it did greatly coincide with the popularity and spread of this documentary. As my last point I would like to touch about the illegal aspect of street art. I believe this adds a certain element to its nature than if these pieces of art were to be solely viewable in a gallery. By being illegal, it adds a certain element of intrigue and rebellion to these pieces. For example, Banksy’s work primarily focuses on bold statements in regards to government and society, and added with it’s illegal nature, further adds a sense of rebellion and shock to the affect it has on those that view these pieces. It adds more strength and seems to demonstrate these artists are truly dedicated to the views and ideas of which their art is based off of. Additionally, for people of my generation, it adds a sense of intrigue and fascination. These pieces of art seem to coincide with concepts such as invincibility and resistance to conformity. They are very time appropriate, with very innovative and eye catching design, so much so that the “Obey” images have become quite the fashion statement. Their urban edge and modern design seem to speak to my generation, more so than bland painted photographs with hidden meanings hung in museums. Also, the fact they are seen on city streets further adds to their appeal. They seem edgy, trendy, and daring - qualities that I believe my generation seeks to emulate.