Tonight was one of several press screenings for Banksys film Exit through the gift shop.
Lucky for me I got a press pass.
The movie starts off documenting Thierry Guetta who had a very OCD habit of filming every non-sequential mundane thing that happened in his life up until the point where he discovers his cousin is street artist Space invader.
At this point he becomes focused on filming street artists and obsessively pursues them until he has filmed everyone he can except for one.
Banksy, the proverbial holy grail of street artists.
Just his luck that he finally gets his wish and not only meets but is allowed to film him.
If you know anything about Banksy you know nobody ever gets to film him.
We are taken through the progression of a certain group of street artists from their very roots to the extraordinary notoriety this type of street art has gained in the mainstream art world.
There comes a point where street art is selling for hundreds of thousands of dollars. And Now into the millions.
Banksy tells Guetta its time to make his film so people can see where it came from.
Because art is about making art not dollars.
Guetta all this time has been documenting and not labeling or even looking at over 10,000 hours of footage.
Because although he has been telling everybody he is making a documentary in reality he has been just filming and putting tapes in storage bins.
He edits his footage into “his Movie” which he entitles Life Remote Control.
We get to see a clip of it in Exit a mishmash of acid flash back nightmare that reminds me a little bit of the bad scenes from Liquid sky, 80’s and terrible.
Banksy encourages Guetta to go back to LA and make art and maybe have a show, but leave all the raw footage behind with him.
So while Banksy is making this documentary and finding usable footage Guetta has given himself the moniker of Mr. Brainwash and begins to plan his Art show.
At this part of the movie for me I felt ahh the true Nature of the American dream.
This guy who is not a film maker, not an artist hires 20+ people to execute his ideas that are borrowed ideas from other artists and stages a huge opening that gets a ton of press and sells a million dollars worth of art.
His first show.
In the end it feels so unjust the notoriety “Mr. Brainwash” has accumulated in such a ridiculously short amount of time.
All the rest of the artists in this movie have worked for years/decades doing their art and making a name for them selves, not to mention making art for arts sake.
I loved the satire of this documentary, I loved being able to see footage we would have never seen before especially of Bansky who I have admired for many years.
His Show in Los Angeles Barley Legal was one of my most memorable art experiences.
Anyone who is a fan of street art this movie is definitely a must see.
And , if you do go an see it please let me know your take, i would love to get peoples reactions.
75,000 People attended this show over 3 days.
For more information go to:
Exit through the gift shop opens in In Los Angeles, New York,San Francisco, Berkley, & Palo Alto April 16th
April 23 Philadelphia,Chicago,Seattle,Boston
April 30 Minneapolis,Washington,Baltimore,Atlanta,Denver,San Diego
May 07 Detroit,Houston,Dallas,Milwaukee,Providence
May 14 St Louis
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