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A Lesson Learned From Banksy
Notoriously anonymous street artist, Banksy, who uses public walls and pranks as his medium, created a film which has everyone debating about it’s intentions. As a casual art fan, I’ve followed the “illegal grey area” work of Banksy for a few years.
I was expecting to see a behind the scenes documentary that showed glimpses of Banksy and other street-artists working in the cover of night. Instead, I was taken through a roller coaster ride that began in the underground art scene in Europe and ended as a satire of the pretentiousness and mass manipulation in Los Angeles. Ultimately, Banksy’s debut feature film acts as a way for the anonymous artist to send a message to the masses about the difference between true art and consumerism.
Exit Through the Gift Shop opens with a full gamut of legendary street-artists spray-painting walls, climbing rooftops and running from the police, all set to Richard Hawley’s “The Streets Are Ours.” From that moment, I was pulled into their world. I found myself nervously scanning the movie screen, as if I were a lookout for them. The Frenchman and self-professed filmmaker, Thierry Guetta, stumbles into the underground art world in Europe through his cousin, Space Invader. Through Thierry’s lousy videotaping, I was able to witness the craftsmanship behind the street artists’ works. Before hitting the streets, these artists spend countless hours working on their pieces, blueprinting and intricately cutting stencils with precision and finesse. Like a master chef with his knife, or a sculptor with their chisel; these street artists demonstrate a mastering of their tools.Their speed, accuracy and attention to detail sets them apart from graffiti vigilantes and makes them Legends.
Iconic street-artists, Banksy and Shepard Fairey, are introduced and become partially responsible for an unjustifiably successful art exhibit. In an attempt to retrieve the footage of their work, they unintentionally create Mr. Brainwash, an artist without skill or style but a keen sense of media awareness and mass manipulation. I was brought into an exhilarating world of street art and then found myself laughing hysterically at the scoffing of the bandwagon art scene and overnight success that could only be possible in Los Angeles.
Banksy creates pieces on religion, politics and twists on everyday objects so as to make one ponder. As controversial as his work is, it still causes onlookers to pause for a moment. That pause in our everyday lives, the pit-stop in the rat-race, that is where the meaning of art lies. The many reactions to Banksy’s work: shock, amazement, confusion, the sudden awareness of what’s right in front of you, political debate… or maybe one might just pass it by and say “I wish I would have thought of that!” Whatever your reaction might be, Banksy has succeeded in his work of art, for art is meant to evoke emotion. Banksy leaves your reaction up to you. You don’t have to like it, he just wants you to stop and think for a minute.
After spending sleepless nights in the kitchen working on my craft and trying to create recipes that I can only hope people will enjoy, I can appreciate and respect Banksy’s passion and dedication. The next time you find yourself looking at art, ask yourself why you liked or disliked it. I always tell people to trust their own palates and not listen to what food critics have to say. In that same aspect, I think Banksy just wants us all to have our own opinions about art, free from media and propaganda. Don’t like a painting because your friend told you to. Furthermore, don’t praise an artist just because he or she was on TV or praised by celebrities.
I’m still not quite sure what the intentions were for Exit Through the Gift Shop. Either way, cheers to you, Banksy, for making an informative and thought provoking film that, hopefully, we all learn from.
Below: Banksy puts a piece up a few days before his film’s debut in Los Angeles on 4th and La Brea. (rumored to be torn off the wall and selling for almost $1million)
Below: Banksy’s Anti-War pieces
