Exit Through The Gift Shop

Exit Through The Gift Shop was a documentary directed by street artist Banksy. Originally intended to be an exposé on street art filmed by Thierry Guetta, Banksy would later turn the camera on Guetta and his seemingly overnight rise to fame in the art world. The documentary was able to captivate audiences by first bringing them into the world of street art through individuals such as Shepard Fairey and then revealing how one man can defy the art and reinvent himself into one of the most prestigious artist with virtually no street art background.

Guetta was able to create this art by taking what he had learned from the various street artists he followed. He began to understand basic ingredients and styles that made the art interesting and popular. All art forms including painting and music have artists who are influenced by those before them and this is often apparent in the works they put out. However, Guetta seemed to have little to no style of his own. What he created was completely based off of what he had learned by following the artists for the months before. He found simple theorems that Shephard, Banksy, or whichever other artist he had studied used and applied it to his works, making his art basically unoriginal. He clearly had no authentic vision which is why his artwork resembled those he followed and why he needed a team to actually create the works. Guetta’s vision was not that of his own but merely an accumulation of everything he had picked up from the true artists and masked into one large copycat art show.

This movie really made a statement about society. It showed how trends can occur with no basis or justification. Guetta had no right to present himself as a true graffiti artist, yet, thousands of people showed up to his art exhibit and paid top dollar for his art works. This mirrored a society who likes things because it is “the thing to like” and not necessarily because they enjoy it. Trends often become trends because certain people say so and not because people make their own judgments out of free will. Guetta was able to spark interest and create a buzz about his work by simply receiving the support of Banksy and Shepard and getting his name in a popular newspaper. This proved that society is made up of many people who yearn to be a part of a fad or whatever is the new, hip thing.

The argument can be made that the internet has allowed for trends to flourish and why Guetta was so successful. However, I believe that this is not completely accurate. Trends have been able to blossom for years without the use of the internet. In the 80’s, punk rock music emerged in the underground scene by word of mouth. Small groups of people found this music to be edgy. Therefore, many people began listening and became fans mainly because of what the music represented. Fashion often finds its niche because of who wears it rather than how it looks. The Michael Jordan sneaker brand is able to re-launch old sneakers by marketing them as vintage and cool. Although consumers may not find them particularly attractive they still purchase the sneakers because of trends and what the shoe represents. Guetta’s over-night fame was helped by the internet, but was more so spurred upon by a society who has a history of eating up whatever is proclaimed as the fresh and cool new trend.