By now, you’ve probably heard of Banksy. For those who have not, he’s a British street artist¹ most famous for his graffiti work on buildings. Last year he directed and released Exit Through the Gift Shop, a documentary film following a French videographer/eccentric who himself documents street artists. It’s a fascinating look at what the street art scene has become. Two thirds of the way through the film, the Frenchman decides to stop documenting the work of others and instead become an artist himself. Rather than take the traditional method of a slow build up of recognition, he jumps straight to holding a massive exhibition in LA on a scale rarely seen by even the most established artists. With much of his life savings on the line, he orchestrates a large pseudo-street campaign to promote the show, entitled “Life Is Beautiful”. Before a single member of the public had stepped foot in the exhibition, it made the cover of LA Weekly. Some of his pieces were being ordered for $25,000 or more. Upon opening, the show was a massive hit. By the end of the first week, the Frenchman, aka “Mr. Brainwash” had sold over $1 million worth of art.²

I don’t want to explain the entire movie, as it should be seen. The movie’s thesis, however, is worth exploration. At one point, the Frenchman says that many street pieces are a commentary on the manipulation and brainwash of the public. When it comes to “art”, manipulation has likely never been easier. Many of today’s biggest musicians are barely more than products being sold to ignorant listeners. With the right marketing campaign and manufactured hype, seemingly anyone can become a star over night, as Mr. Brainwash does. Pop star Katy Perry is a more famous example of this. Perry released her first studio album – a gospel rock record – in 2001. It was a flop and barely anyone even knows it existed. Ten years later, with a name change and more provocative clothing, Perry is a massive hit. In reality she is an average singer who happens to be very good looking. With a talented management and marketing team, she has become one of the biggest stars in all of music. So big, in fact, that her very average pop album was nominated for Grammy Album of the Year.

I could go on and on naming stars whose careers can be credited to the giant machine of pop culture but I’ll spare you. Since the advent of the television that’s been the case and it likely always will be. Unfortunately most of what is considered art nowadays is really only about “exiting through the gift shop”, so to speak. They want your money and will give you exactly what you think you want to hear/see/experience in order to get it. They don’t respect your intelligence or your ability to think for yourself, and they shouldn’t. By continuing to buy their watered down, mindless products, we don’t deserve that respect. There’s a common saying that goes something like, “you vote with your dollars”. Now more than ever people are voting for what I would deem to be the wrong things. The existence of the talentless – the Kardashians of the world – is our fault and ours alone. We vote with our eyes, our ears, and most of all our dollars. Think about all of the things in your life that you vote for. I’m certainly not proud of some of the things I consume.

In the end, Banksy proclaims art to be a bit of a joke, that it’s more about commerce and fame and all of the things it’s not supposed to be about. You have to ask yourself, “Am I the one being laughed at?”

1. Supposedly. ↵
2. It should be noted that much of his art is considered to be a rip-off of other famous artists, such as Andy Warhol, Shepard Fairy (also featured in the film) and Banksy himself. ↵