CC Film Club: Exit Through The Gift Shop

[Topcatyo]

I'm gonna see if I can go 3 for 3 on these threads with nobody giving a shit, so prove me right (or wrong) guys!

Anyways, Exit Through The Gift Shop is an incredibly fascinating documentary about a man who videotapes various street artists saying he's going to make a documentary about the street art movement. Eventually, he learns of the artist Banksy (who you should really look into if you haven't), and he suddenly really wants to get a chance to film Banksy. He does, and after befriending Banksy and getting quite a bit of footage on him, things take an interesting turn that I don't want to spoil (but the Netflix page does anyway, so read that if you want).

Maybe it's not even a real documentary, who knows.

ANYWAY

The Netflix link

It's on Instant Watch, so you have a chance to watch it. If you're at all interested in art, it's an incredibly interesting film to watch. If you're not interested in art, why are you in the Clock Crew? Also, watch the film anyway.

[buttplug]

I actually just watched it 2 days ago. It was really interesting and even funny. I have an interest in graffiti culture and street art so I found it awesome to get to see some big names at work.

I have heard rumors that Thierry was fabricated and the movie was all a hoax. I'm not sure if I believe that, but I kind of wish it was true because it would basically mean Banksy trolled the art world. The biggest piece of evidence I see for it being a hoax is the name "Mr. Brainwash". Considering how Thierry started his career, I find it so ironic that it hurts.

I don't know how I feel about Thierry himself. At first it seems really crazy what he ended up doing, but then again the fact that it happened at all gives you a lot to think about when it comes to what art really is.

If you have any interest in graffiti art I suggest you watch the documentary Bomb It. It gives a small idea of what graffiti culture is like in different parts of the world, from the USA to South Africa to Japan. A whole lot of interesting people and some great art to boot.

[Topcatyo]

SPOILER ALERTS FROM HERE ON BELOW. JUST SAYING

I have heard rumors that Thierry was fabricated and the movie was all a hoax. I'm not sure if I believe that, but I kind of wish it was true because it would basically mean Banksy trolled the art world. The biggest piece of evidence I see for it being a hoax is the name "Mr. Brainwash". Considering how Thierry started his career, I find it so ironic that it hurts.

I don't know how I feel about Thierry himself. At first it seems really crazy what he ended up doing, but then again the fact that it happened at all gives you a lot to think about when it comes to what art really is.

I'm not quite sure. I don't think it was all an elaborate hoax, but perhaps that it became one. If it was hoax at all, I imagine it played out like this:

Thierry videotapes the street artists --> It goes as the movie presented it all up to him meeting Banksy, maybe the documentary arc not actually happening --> Banksy and the others decide to make the hoax involving Thierry (either wittingly or unwittingly)

I kind of hope it isn't a hoax, though. Actually, I really, really hope none of it is a hoax, because I think then it makes it such a much more interesting thing to watch. It's amazing, at the end, watching all these people who make such elaborate statements, trying to subvert culture, trying to provoke anger or suspicion or any kind of emotion, suddenly getting knocked on their ass as some dude with a really generic and cookie-cutter style basically outdoes them with a bunch of Photoshops.

Either way, it makes a somewhat implicit statement on art in general. Some creepy dude who watched a bunch of artists working for several years basically skips the learning process of art, hires people to make his art for him and produces a really generic art show is fawned over by a bunch of hipsters and critics thinking he's a genius making a brilliant statement. In the end, nobody knows shit and all the veterans of the craft are left scratching their heads going "What kind of monster have we created?"

[buttplug]

It's amazing, at the end, watching all these people who make such elaborate statements, trying to subvert culture, trying to provoke anger or suspicion or any kind of emotion, suddenly getting knocked on their ass as some dude with a really generic and cookie-cutter style basically outdoes them with a bunch of Photoshops.

I'm not so sure about that, because a lot of street artists don't consider what they do to have anything to do with putting up a gallery of your work. In fact a lot of them think people like Banksy are sellouts for having public shows of his own artwork. I don't think you got to see a whole lot of that though, being that Banksy was so involved in the movie.

[Topcatyo]

I'm not so sure about that, because a lot of street artists don't consider what they do to have anything to do with putting up a gallery of your work. In fact a lot of them think people like Banksy are sellouts for having public shows of his own artwork. I don't think you got to see a whole lot of that though, being that Banksy was so involved in the movie.

Well of course people are going to think that people people like Banksy or Shepard Fairey are sellouts, and that's subjective (I myself am glad Fairey and Banksy are able to make a living off their work, more power to them), but if they're considered sellouts, then Thierry became a sellout from the get-go, skipping the steps where he starts off underground and works his way up. If you look at it that way then the success of "Mr. Brainwash" is an even bigger fuck you to the sellouts, basically proving "Hey, anybody can make a successful show".

Not that Banksy ever needed a "fuck you" directed toward him. From what I can tell he's always been a pretty cool cat.

[AmberArachnidClock]

Loved it, basically the modern art world in a nutshell.

I don't think it's fake, and it's definitely not out of the ordinary. It doesn't even matter if it is fake because this kind of thing happens all the time.

I thought the Disneyland thing was great.

[WiiClock]

I watched this in theaters months ago.
I wish my cousin was famous, so I could follow around Banksy and then eventually become famous after mspaint copy pasting some shit together.

Best parts of the movie were
Getting to see Banksy's studio.
Seeing him cut out a stencil.

[DWARFINATORclock]

Pretty sure it was an elaborate hoax, minus Thierry videotaping people part.

[buttplug]

Pretty sure it was an elaborate hoax, minus Thierry videotaping people part.

Why do you think this though? Thierry still hold shows, he has had at least 2 more since his first one.

[patriotclock]

watch a real doc like Restrepo