32. Exit through the Gift Shop

Watching Exit Through the Gift Shop, the documentary by Banksy, left me confused and amused. I didn’t know what to make of it until we discussed it in class, but after the class discussion and further thought, I’ve been able to form an opinion.

I think that that the documentary is a demonstration of how easy it is to manipulate the art world. I think the message is that all you have to do to create expensive art is to convince people that your creation is worth a lot of money. I don’t think that Thierry’s pieces were valuable in themselves as they weren’t spectacularly crafted nor did they have some sort of incredible meaning behind them. Thierry was only able to put on such a successful art show and make money because of the promotion and hype that the other artists’ built for him. Once the public saw that Thierry’s “art’ was approved by Banksy and other street artists, people decided it was valuable just because well-known artists claimed it was.

It’s not to say that Thierry isn’t deserving of the fame and fortune however, as he put in a lot of hard work as a cameraman in the years prior, and in doing so, he built many relationships in the street art world which ultimately helped to promote his own work. So, Thierry’s fame and fortune are not a product of his artwork, but of his extensive relationship building and field work in support of other artists.