Review of Exit Through the Gift Shop (2010) by Alwayswatching — 25 Oct 2014

Thierry, an amateur film maker, decides to make documentary about famous street artists. But everything changes as he gets fame and attention. As we see events unfold, we have no way but to reconsider the meaning of art and artist. We also have to take a look at.

This is a marvelous take on art and what it means. What it means to be an artist. What are the rules and limits. How much art is truly art and how much it is a sensation driven by advertisement.

This is not just a story about Terry and his success story as an artist, it is also a story about us. Because, we are the visitors of his gallery. We are the buyers of his art. We give him fame and wealth and fortune.

One of the quotes at the ending of the movies summarizes it all, “The joke is on … uh … mm [us]”. And by us, I mean all of us (the artist, the visitors, the media, the promoters). We all to varying degrees are megalomaniacs. We oversell ourselves and our identities for personal gains. To reject this notion is just adding a layer of hypocrisy to the mix. But I argue it is fine. If a sucker wants to call a piece of **** art and pay a humongous amount of money for them, they have the right to do it.

It is also a criticism of Banksy's work. If there are no rules in art, what is the difference between Banksy and Terry (or between Banksy and Picasso) and if there are rules, who decides them.