Movie Review: Exit Through the Gift Shop

I don't know much about the art world.  Sure, I studied art history in college. Some of my closest friends are artists, and I have visited my share of galleries and museums.  But when it comes right down to it, I don't have an inkling about how the current art market works.  I'm also ignorant about the street art movement.  Living in New York, I see my share of street art, I even recognize some of the styles, but couldn't tell you who did them or where the counterparts  were painted.  What I do know, is that is creative, somewhat dangerous, eye-catching and frequently humorous. From what I have seen, the art market is dry, so a little wit is welcome with my art.

So thank goodness Exit Through the Gift Shop is able to sort our and explain it all.  This documentary is somewhat hard to explain.  At first it seems that Banksy, the secretive British street artist (his work, I recognize) is the topic.  He is not.  Then it appears to be a document of the street art movement.  It is, but only sort of.  The movie revolves around a man named Theirry Guetta, a man with a movie camera who followed renegade street artists as they tagged and put up their work.  His footage is amazing as he shows the heights and ledges climbed, the speed in which the artists work, and their art in the context of the city landscapes.  Guetta comes off as eccentric, but genuine in his interest in the movement.

Inspired by the street artists he documents, Guetta decides to make his own mark in the art world, taking the moniker "Mister Brainwash."  And here is where the movie shows its true intent.  Mister Brainwash creates an art assembly line, taking the images and concepts he sees in the art world and mass producing them.  He embarks on an introductory solo show unlike anything seen, particularly from a new artist.  And for all intents and purposes, he is "successful." 

His creations lack anything related to heart or soul.  They are merely takes on what Mister Brainwash sees popular in the art market.  His approach would either thrill or horrify Andy Warhol, perhaps a bit of both.

Exit Through the Gift Shop succeeds in introducing the street art scene and exposing the gallery art market.  It manages to make the former look compelling, while the latter appears utterly ridiculous.  As a central character, Guetta/Mister Brainwash is incredibly engaging - the mix of eccentricity, naivety, his animated gestures, and utter cluelessness make him fun to watch.  The story itself seems unbelievable, but just enough to be real.  Is it?  Does it matter?  Sit back and enjoy the art.