WARNING! SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't seen the movie Exit Through the Gift Shop before reading this article, we encourage you to watch the movie first (you won't regret it), then read our opinion -- and share your own thoughts below!
Much of the controversy surrounding the street art documentary Exit Through the Gift Shop surrounds whether the movie is real, or a prank. At ZUG, pranks and hoaxes are our business; after careful analysis, here's our best guess.
IS THE MOVIE A PRANK? Yes and no. We think it starts out as a legitimate documentary, with Guetta intending to create a film about street artists. But it eventually becomes clear that he is a very bad filmmaker, and that is where the story begins to diverge from reality.
IS GUETTA FOR REAL, THEN? Yes and no. The beginning of the film is likely accurate, until he meets Fairey, who determines that Guetta means well, but will never be able to produce a finished documentary. Fairey enlists Banksy to help turn it into an actual documentary. The second half of the film, starting from when Guetta meets Banksy, is loosely scripted with the help of Fairey and Banksy. In other words: a prank.
It's unlikely that Banksy would give Guetta freedom to film his face, then let him keep the tapes. Much of Banksy's power comes from the fact that no one knows who he is -- why would he let a bumbling filmmaker jeopardize that?
There's also the matter of the film quality. The first half of the film is a jerky mess that's painful to watch, while the second half is smooth and professional, suggesting that the first half is truly amateur, while the second part was directed by Fairey.
IS GUETTA AN ARTIST? Yes and no. It's incredibly unlikely that he could produce the enormous art show at the end of the movie, even with help -- too much time, money, and talent would be required. It's more likely to be Banksy, Fairey, and perhaps other artists producing this work with Mister Brain Wash as a frontman.
The giveaway is the quality of his work, which is both good and bad -- that is, technically excellent but conceptually cliched. The art is derivative of both the pop art and the street art movement -- a typical installation is an eight-foot spray can with a Campbell's Tomato Soup label, referencing both graffiti artists and Andy Warhol. Even Banksy quips at the end, "His art looks quite a lot like everyone else's."
At the same time, Mister Brain Wash successfully fronts the art show, which probably does make him an artist -- perhaps a con artist!
SO IF GUETTA IS SINCERE IN THE FIRST PART, AND ACTING IN THE SECOND PART, IS HE JUST A REALLY GOOD ACTOR? That part, admittedly, is a bit of a mystery.
BUT WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN? Like all good art, there are a number of interpretations. During the film, Banksy refers to his painted elephant piece as a statement "that we ignore things right in front of us -- the elephant in the room." We think the thing right in front of us is the title of the freaking movie, which is never mentioned once in the film.
"Exit Through the Gift Shop" is, of course, the way that art museums try to route visitors to generate additional revenue. It highlights the place where art and commerce meet, much as we see Mister Brain Wash cashing in on his newfound fame at the end. But perhaps the entire film is an attempt to build a personality that can be cashed in -- Banksy recently commented that MBW's works are selling for more than his own (although that too may be a statement intended to drive up the value of MBW's work).
There's also the matter of Mister Brain Wash's name. He even tells us that art is about brainwashing: Banksy and Fairey admitting to us, perhaps, that they are brainwashing us into thinking that MBW is an important artist. Perception dictates reality.
We believe Exit Through the Gift Shop is ultimately a prank on the art world, reinforced by the art lovers at the end of the movie who rave about MBW's work -- and shell out money to buy his "important" work.
IS GUETTA ACTUALLY BANKSY? No. It would be awesome if that were true, but it's unlikely Banksy would put his identity on the line like that. But if we're wrong and it actually is Banksy, you have to admit that would be the greatest prank of all time.
If you're interested in Exit Through the Gift Shop, you'll also want to check out Banksy's awesome and inspiring book Wall and Piece, available from the ZUG Store.
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Barely Concealed Narcissist 3  5
04/26/2010 01:24 PM
At the end of the film, I turned to my fiancee and said, "Wow. That cannot be a real story." She replied, "It HAS to be real...how could they fake all of that?" And I immediately agreed. Reading this article makes me reconsider, but I think that - either way - she's got a point. Maybe they faked a bunch of it. But - and this touches upon your point in this piece, John - this wasn't presented like a Christopher Guest story. Sure, Banksy's recitation of his "interview" lines feel suspiciously forced. And the way Fairey and Banksy spend so much "street" equity on Guetta is bizarre (not to mention Guetta's wife sticking with him throughout...my fiancee made sure to let me know that she'd support all my creative endeavors, but not if I have to go that far...).
All in all, the film had (still has) me thinking about all of this...you know...stuff. And it has people talking. And if it IS as much of a prank as you suggest here, John, then I love it even more.
g.
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