Banksy Research: Exit Through the Gift Shop {documentry}

Exit Through the Gift Shop

A documentary-style film that gives a unique insight to the beginnings of street art; from Los Angeles, France and the U.K.

Using edited footage from a street artist named Mr. Brainwash, who started his career by first filming street artists for years - and then finally, from his experiences with the street artist Banksy, decided to take to the art scene himself and set himself up with his own gallery. Exit Through the Gift Shop follows "Mr. Brainwash"'s story as he develops from amateur film-maker to a street artist making millions. 

Through the documentary, we see how street artists create their work, and the reasoning behind some of the most famous pieces from known street artists today. Cutting paper and making stencils, using spray paints or just slapping paint onto their chosen piece of wall in their city, there was numerous ways for an up-and-coming artist to make their work. 


Different Trends

Most artists that he followed followed the "repetitive trend", creating a character of sorts and placing their character in as many eye-catching places as possible around their city or town. The harder the location was to get to, the more people wanted to get to it. 

Obey - Shepard Fairey

One of the most famous examples of this repetitive trend was the character created by Shepard Fairey (above), usually accompanied by the word "OBEY". Fairey stated in the film that he liked the idea of people seeing this face and statement everywhere, and wondering what it meant - talking about its origins and spreading the word of his art just through that one, recognisable face. 

How it began..

Mr Brainwash's cousin is who introduced him to the street art phenomenon in 1999. Naming himself "Space Invader", he created space invaders from Rubix Cubes and would glue his creations wherever possible, to be seen and talked about.  

Space Invader

Intrigued by the danger and mystery surrounding the street artists of L.A, Mr. Brainwash - then known by his real name, Thierry Guetta - became obsessed with documenting every move Space Invader made whilst creating and then "publishing" his work. A few months later, he would go on to film other street artists, and eventually he met Fairey - who would eventually lead him to the biggest street artist in the world, at the time and even now - Banksy. 

When eventually after years of documenting Guetta decided to become a street artist himself, he used thick stencilling, photocopying and spray paint mostly to create his gallery Life is Beautiful.