Did Banksy Use the Documentary Film Exit Through The Gift Shop to Promote Himself - Assignment Example

? Did Banksy use the documentary film Exit Through The Gift Shop to promote himself? In my critical analyses essay about Exit Through The Gift Shop Iargued that Banksy used the documentary to reveal that street artist Thierry Guetta is a fraud, a copycat artist who uses other people's ideas and claims them to be his own, making a lot of money in the process. I claimed that therefore Banksy took responsibility as a documentary director to educate and alert the public to problems within society , in particular to change their attitude and behavior towards art by being more critical. Influencing people’s behavior to get involved in a democratic society is the general aim any documentary should have, as the Scottish documentary film pioneer John Grierson once defined: “Grierson's view.. was to involve citizens in their government...Grierson developed a conviction that motion pictures could play a central role in promoting this process.” (Alternative Perth History online source). In other words, Grierson believed that films have the power to communicate problems in society to a wider audience and can inspire them to get involved with social and political issues. In the case of Exit Through The Gift Shop, this would mean that after seeing the film, an audience wouldn't 'fall into the trap' of a false street artist like Guetta and would not buy any of his merchandise or promote his work any further to be 'art'. In my critical analyses essay I argued that Banksy used his documentary film to disclose Thierry's unethical exploration of street art as he showed to an audience that Thierry is ‘no real artist’- as Banksy and other street artists state in the film. I believe Banksy’s goal was to make the audience realize that Thierry stole his ideas so that in the future they won’t buy his copycat art any more. The film also encourages us to look closer at art and be more critical in judging its value- and the artist's originality. The film's overall message was that what counts is the original idea of the artist. But at the same time I argue that Banksy also had a selfish reason why he made this film: to promote himself and his art. Hence, my thesis is that Banksy used Exit Through The Gift Shop as part of his self-promotion strategy that is based on mystery. For the purpose of this argumentative essay, I identify my audience to be cinemagoers who I want to convince that Exit Through The Bookshop is not just a documentary, but also an indirect promotional advert for Banksy and his art that is 'disguised' as a documentary. Having read numerous online reviews of Exit Of The Giftshop by film-critics and newspapers, the general opinion of journalists agrees with my statement that Banksy also used the film to promote himself. However, there are some critics who have overlooked Banksy's self-promotion in the film, or don't give it much importance. For example, film critic Devin Faracu refers to this issue just to be 'self-mystification' and doesn't call it 'self-promotion'. Instead, Faracu chooses in his review to focus on the important message about street art the film communicates: ‘Exit Through the Gift Shop works on a lot of levels – as a history of the street art scene, as a look at a very strange Frenchman and his weird life, and as a conversation starter on what is good art and what is bad art. It seems to be a conversation that’s especially relevant to the street artists, as they’re working in a medium that’s illegal, looked down upon and usually the province of disaffected 14 year olds. They’re obviously doing something bigger than simple graffiti – one look at Banksy’s astonishing and moving work on the West Bank Barrier proves that.' But I argue that the film can't just be analyzed regarding what it has done to raise the profile of street art generally, but also that the film needs to be analyzed with baring in mind that it is also an advert for Banksy himself. There are several indications that Banksy carefully constructed the film as part of his self-promotion strategy: 1) He takes over Thierry's film and gains control over the filmmaking process. In my critical analyses essay I wrote that Banksy pressed Thierry to finish his documentary to show the world that street art is about its message and not about commercial gain. But because Banksy didn't like Thierry's film Life Remote Control, he decided to take over the filmmaking process himself and asked Thierry to focus on his own art. Banksy suggested Thierry should organize a small exhibition while leaving him his tapes to edit the film. It is at this point, that crucial questions concerning Banksy’s motivation to do this need to be asked: Could Banksy really not foresee what consequence his advice to Thierry would have? He knew Thierry well by then, they were friends. Couldn't he therefore suspect that Thierry would go over the top with his own art? Why did Banksy take over the filmmaking? Did he really just want to make a proper documentary about street art? I believe he did. But at the same time he was well aware that by influencing the filming and the editing he can make himself 'look good' and promote his artwork. There is one scene in the film that supports my assumption. Already on the first viewing of the film I wondered why this scene was in the film as it had nothing to do with Thierry's story. It is the scene where Banksy shows the counterfeit money of British Pound notes with Princess Diana on it instead of the Queen (you can hardly see the difference on a first look and he could have actually gotten away with using this money). I thought to myself, this is a really great prank and an interesting moment, but why did Banksy include the scene as it has nothing to do with Thierry? I have the impression that Banksy included this scene because it finally gave him an opportunity to show this great idea to the world. He never could play the prank because he was legally prevented from handing out the money (he would have been prosecuted if he had done that). In other words, I imagine Banksy was grateful that he could finally show this great prank idea to the world as part of the film, therefore using this medium for self-promotion. Another reason why I suspect Banksy took control over the film was that he was concerned of showing too much of his working process to the world. Who is to say that Banksy develops all his great ideas himself? Maybe he is also working with a group of artists and designers, just as Thierry did. In other words, Banksy might have taken over from Thierry not only because he was dissatisfied with Life Remote Control, but also because he wanted to maintain his maverick image and have the final say over what content there would be shown in the film. This gave him the opportunity to decide that only content would be shown that shows himself and his art in a positive light and that would support his image as being original and operating independent of anyone else. 2) Officially in press and media coverage Banksy is credited as director when actually the credits only state: 'A Banksy film'. As Banksy states himself in the film that “I'm not a filmmaker' this could mean that he actually employed a professional director who helped him to finish the film. It could also mean that the film was indeed made by someone else, but Banksy put his name on it to be associated to be its director and hence getting more promotional attention. 3) The hoax rumors that the film is actually a mockumentary (a fictionalized film that claims to be a documentary when in fact it is actually not real) helped immensely to gain media attention and to promote it. Film critic Dave Calhoun agrees with this argument. He writes in his review of the film in the magazine Time Out London: ' Banksy has a weird relationship with fame... he’s famous for not being famous. He breeds celebrity then rejects it...His anonymity is a handy tease – a tool which allows him to draw attention to himself while at the same time deflecting it. ‘Exit Through the Gift Shop’...profiles Banksy and prods at issues raised by his success, from originality to commercialization. But it’s a wonky, sideways profile in that the film pretends not to be about Banksy. He – or whoever made the film – employs a fall guy to make himself look good. Call it passive self-promotion. Some even call it a hoax.' Even though the footage of the street artists that Thierry filmed appears to be real, there is a good possibility that Banksy staged events during the 2nd part of the film that concerns Thierry’s story of becoming a copycat artist. I argue that Banksy probably did a bit more than just give Thierry good advice to focus on his own art. Many critics believe that Banksy actually helped Thierry with the exhibition and maybe even suggested he steals ideas from other well know works of art. There are several indications for this, for example: the close resemblance of Thierry's art to Banksy's work. Banksy's positive endorsement for Thierry's exhibition. Journalist Wendy Ide, who writes for the highly respected English newspaper Sunday Times, confirms this suspicion with some valuable insider knowledge: ' It’s not too much of a stretch to surmise that Banksy orchestrated the whole event to test the credulity of the art-buying hordes. I have another reason to suspect this. I once met Banksy. It did not go well. What started out as a perfectly amiable chat descended into hostility when he talked about his favorite film and I gave my critical evaluation of it. The film was Life is Beautiful, the mawkish story of a man who creates a fictional alternative reality in a Nazi death camp. And the title of Guetta’s LA show? Life is Beautiful.' So there is the real possibility that Banksy consciously influenced Thierry to become a copycat artist, in other words, to use him as a 'fall guy' as Calhoun stated, and make him out to be the exact opposite of himself: on the one hand we have Banksy, a talented artist who apparently doesn't care about promotion, fame and financial gain and on the other hand Thierry, who hasn't got talent but wants to be famous and earn a lot of money. It can also not be denied that because Exit Through The Gift Shop was rumored to be a hoax, it did get a lot of media attention before it was even released and also after its release when it was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. There was great excitement around Banksy's possible appearance at the Academy Awards because the organizers had asked him to attend not in disguise, otherwise they would not let him in. This leads me on to refer back to my initial thesis that Banksy's self-promotion strategy is based on mystery and that Exit Through The Gift Shop played a crucial part in it. I believe that Banksy's self-inflicted anonymity and the resulting mystery around his person, creates such a hype that he becomes even more famous, more hyped, more commercially successful (his artworks are sold at very expensive prices in auction houses around the world). I don't believe that the only reason why he hasn't revealed his identity yet is that he wants to avoid being persecuted. Moreover, Banksy wants to maintain his mysterious status to remain interesting and therefore more successful. Would Banksy still be successful if his identity is revealed? The mysterious image that makes him so special as one of the most interesting artists today would disappear forever then. Therefore, the fact that Banksy actually appeared in Exit Through The Gift Shop himself, that we were able to see him at work and he even gave an interview, attracted a lot of people's attention who wanted to know more about him and therefore made it a box office success. To conclude, Exit Through The Gift Shop is indeed part of Banksy's overall self-promotion strategy that is based on his mysterious anonymity which he uses to promote himself and his art. However, Banksy can't be accused for seeking the limelight or for wanting to be a star, as he still remains anonymous and doesn't live the life of a celebrity. It is also true that just like any artist Banksy does need to promote his work in some way or the other to be recognized. But he conducts this self-promotion in his own clever way in the film that is slightly misleading: By pretending to focus on Thierry, the attention is also on Banksy and hence promotes his art. Even though I believe Banksy helped to stage events concerning Thierry, I don't believe he did it to make money out of the copycat art but to get his message across of how easily people are fooled to accept copycat art and are willing to pay a lot of money for it. In other words, Banksy can be accused of possible having manipulated the film for his own promotional advantages, but the film's overall supportive message about street art remains true and important Works Cited Film Exit Through The Gift Shop. Dir. Banksy, Revolver Entertainment, 2009. Film. Online Sources Alternative Perth History. A Mixed Bag Of Other Folk. 03 May 2011. .< http://www.alternative-perth.co.uk/amixedbag4.htm >. Chud.Com. Devin Faraci. Exit Through The Giftshop (Sundance Review). 03 May 2011. < http://www.chud.com/22324/sundance-review-exit-through-the-gift-shop/ >. The Sunday Times Online. Wendy Ide. Exit Through The Giftshop. 02 May 2011. . Time Out London. Dave Calhoun. Exit Through The Giftshop (2010). 02 May 2011. < http://www.timeout.com/film/reviews/88341/exit-through-the-gift-shop.html >. Did Banksy use the documentary film Exit Through The Gift-Shop for promotion? Critical analyses essay about Exit Through The Gift Shop: - Banksy used the documentary to reveal that street artist Thierry Guetta is a fraud, a copycat artist who uses other people's ideas and claims them to be his own, making a lot of money in the process. I claimed that therefore Banksy took responsibility as a documentary director to educate and alert the public to problems within society. This is the general aim any documentary should have, as the Scottish documentary film pioneer John Grierson once defined: 'Grierson's view.. was to involve citizens in their government...Grierson developed a conviction that motion pictures could play a central role in promoting this process.' (Alternative Pert Histroy -online source) http://www.alternative-perth.co.uk/amixedbag4.htm > Grierson believed that films have the power to communicate problems in society to a wider audience and can inspire them to get involved with social and political issues. In the case of Exit Through The Gifthshop, this would mean that after seeing the film, an audience wouldn't 'fall into the trap' of a false street artist like Guetta and would not buy any of his merchandise or promote his work any further to be 'art'. > I Banksy used his documentary film to disclose Thierry's unethical exploration of street art as he showed to an audience that Thierry is ‘no real artist’- as Banksy and other street artists state in the film. > I believe Banksy’s goal was to make the audience realize that Thierry stole his ideas so that in the future they won’t buy his copycat art any more. The film also encourages us to look closer at art and be more critical in judging its value- and the artist's originality. > For the essay essay, I identify my audience to be cinemagoers who I want to convince that Exit Through The Bookshop is not just a documentary, but also an advert. > reading reviews of the film. some critics don't write about Banksy's self-promtion in the film. > the film can't just be analyzed regarding what it has done to raise the profile of street art generally, but as a Banksy promo. Prove why Banksy staged the film: 1) He takes over Theirry's film and gains control over the filmmaking process. I wrote before that Banksy pressed Thierry to finish his documentary to show the world that street art is about its message and not about commercial gain. But because Banksy didn't like Thierry's film Life Remote Control, he decided to take over the filmmaking process and asks Thierry to focus on his own art and should organize a small exhibition while leaving him his tapes to edit the film. It is at this point, that crucial questions need to be asked: Could Banksy really not foresee what consequence his advice to Thierry would have? He knew Theirry well by then, they were friends. Couldn't he therefore suspect that Thierry would go over the top with his own art? Why did Banksy take over the filmmaking? 2) Officially in press and media coverage Banksy is credited as director when actually the credits only state: 'A Banksy film'. 3) The hoax rumors that the film is actually a mockumentary (a fictionalized film that claims to be a documentary when in fact it is actually not real) helped immensely to gain media attention and to promote it. Thierry footage seems to be real, there is a good possibility that Banksy staged events during the 2nd part of the film that concerns Thierry.??? > I argue that Banksy probably did a bit more than just give Thierry good advice to focus on his own art. Many critics believe that Banksy actually helped Thierry with the exhibition and maybe even suggested he steals ideas from other well know works of art. There are several indications for this, for example.... It can not be denied that because Exit Through The Book Shop was rumored to be a hoax, it did get a lot of media attention before it was even released and also afterwards when it was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. There was great excitement around Banksy's possible appearance at the Academy Awards because the organizers had asked him to attend not in disguise, otherwise they would not let him in. This leads me on to refer back to my initial thesis that Banksy's self-promotion strategy is based on mystery and that Exit Through The Giftshop played a crucial part in it. Would Banksy still be successful if his identity is revealed? Why not.... To conclude... Works cited film http://www.chud.com/22324/sundance-review-exit-through-the-gift-shop/ http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/film/film_reviews/article7050126.ece http://www.timeout.com/film/reviews/88341/exit-through-the-gift-shop.html http://www.alternative-perth.co.uk/amixedbag4.htm Read More