Analysis Of Exit Through The Gift Shop

Street Art is widely defined as art developed in public spaces such as stencil, sticker, poster, graffiti, and various other forms. In “Exit through the Gift Shop” directed by an unknown street artist who goes under the alias "Banksy," tells a story of Thierry Guetta and his obsession with filmography…more specifically filming fascinating street art being created. Guetta films a series of several street artists making art, more importantly Banksy. Whose true identity is unknown to the public and encourages Guetta to follow a career of street art himself. Banksy’s argument is his expression of opinion of what "actual art” is and what it takes to be considered a “real artist” he does that by having an inside look to show how the world of street
art functions by following other actual artists and then silently compares them to Guetta.
Banksy, chooses to use evidence to express his argument of what real art is and who is a non-fictional artist and who isn't.
In the introduction of the movie, Banksy chooses to show several film shots done by Guetta of hardworking street artists passionately creating their art onto buildings and walls. Along the film shots, the background audio is cheerful and favorable toned music implying the clear effect to take in the audience’s mind. So when the audience sees the street artists making their art, the upbeat music compels the audience to think that the art is an optimistic and hard work dealt with a lot of care and passion. Banksy makes a directors choice by showing hardworking street artists and how they went from nothing to something such as himself, Shepard Fairey, and other street artists. Banksy shows how much he risks spreading the truth through art to express to the audience what “real” art is, and that he is a real artist. He portrays it so beautifully by how he shows the audience his trip to Disney World with Thierry tagging along to remake a Guantanamo Bay portrayal with a blow up doll dressed as an inmate in the Bay. Guetta gets caught by Disney’s police and was interrogated. Banksy however, being a risk taker knew what to do in the situation; he avoided the police by blending into the crowd. Banksy is showing that an element
of real art is spreading the truth through art and be not only a risk taker but being a smart one. Additionally, with Shepard Fairey as an example and takes the time on how he went from just a small idea and how he became successful in the world of street art. Both those street artists whom Guetta followed criticize him for not going through the process of “finding his own art” instead, he only jumped into street art. Guetta experiencing his new street art career fad had an expo for his art and gave himself an alibi, “Mr. Brainwash.” Guetta before following street artist around, he had a store where he would sell a shirt for $17 for $50 because the stitching is different, which is what he also did in his expo selling his art. He cheats people out of their money and his soul purpose of making art is to sell it and make a profit off it. Guetta needed advertisement for his expo, so he requested Shepard Fairey and Banksy for promotional quotes. Both artists didn’t like Guetta’s art style on how he made others create his art, and his ideas were based upon their own art. They unwillingly gave him promotional quotes on their websites through street art or on their website. There are politics, corruption, and wanted actions taken in the street art world just as the normal world does. Banksy showing that Guetta has the elements that make you a fake artist: using politics, other people’s art, hiring other people to do your work, not going through the process of finding your art, cheating others, sole purpose of art is to make a profit and never starting small.