|
|
| Banksy of England: about Street Art and Ideals Līga Miezīte-Jensena, Film Critic | |
| My outstanding discovery at this year’s Berlin Film Festival turned out to be the documentary Exit through the Gift Shop (2010), which offers an exclusive insight into the world of contemporary street art. The film is intriguing also because it is the directorial debut of the anonymous guru of British graffiti and street art Banksy. The director of the Sundance Film Festival, John Cooper, aptly characterises the film as a hybrid of documentary and fiction, and at the same time excellent entertainment. It’s true – the documentary film, an hour-and-a-half long, does not allow the viewer to get bored, not only because of the subject-matter, the vivid portraits and breathtaking turns of the plot, but also by stimulating reflections on the relationship between materialism and idealism in such an (as if) independent and non-commercial a genre as street art. | |
 | |
| There is a postmodern nuance to the film’s plot: Banksy is shooting a film on Thierry Guetta, who says he is going to make a film about his idol Banksy and the phenomenon of street art. The directing attempt by the LA-residing Frenchman fails, because in fact he is only interested in video documentation. Thus the behind-the-scenes goings-on of graffiti and street art, recorded and amassed over a period of eight years, pile up in his cellar in the form of several thousands of unsorted mini DVDs... Banksy takes over the directing and advises Thierry to take up graffiti. Thierry launches on his career as the artist Mr Brainwash. Although one could argue over whether there is any presence of uniqueness and a personal message in his works, Mr Brainwash succeeds in stirring up a media sensation around his ambitious one-man exhibition Life is Beautiful, within a couple of days becomes famous and earns good money... Judging by Banksy’s satirical and provocative works, it would be naive to see the plot of the movie as documentary, because just as well Thierry’s transformation into Mr Brain-wash could be an elaborately staged fiction. Before the film’s premiere at Sundance, a letter by Banksy was read out to the audience saying, among other things, the following: “Everything is true, expressly the episodes when we all are telling lies.” Quite possibly the film’s story ‘frame’ is fictional, nevertheless it is based on documents – episodes from Thierry Guetta’s ample collection. They mingle with interviews by Banksy and other famous street artists (Shepard Fairey, Space Invader and others) that give an insight into their ideas and the background behind their works, and will certainly be appreciated by anybody who is interested in graffiti and street art. The author himself humbly explains the motivation for the film as the necessity of recording street art, which is often short-lived, and in this way to inspire the younger generation. To my mind, the film could be interpreted as portraits of two completely different artists, uncovering their attitude towards art, fame, the media and com¬merce. Of course – if we believe what we see on the screen. | |
 | |
| Art journalist Ole Lindboe defines street art as art in the urban public space, for which it is important to communicate with the viewer and which is characterised by anti-authoritarianism and independence from censorship.(1) Over the last decade, it has been Banksy who to a great extent has shaped the perception of street art in its best manifestations. Although Banksy also paints on canvas, holds solo exhibitions in galleries and publishes books, there is one significant feature of the street artist which he has retained, that is – anonymity, despite his growing popularity. Unlike the eccentric Mr Brainwash, who uses the media machinery to make himself a recognised brand, Banksy intentionally disguises his true identity. In the film, too, we do not see his face, and his voice has been modified. This could be interpreted as a desire to put his works, not his personality, in the foreground, allowing him to continue with his controversial working practices and contradictory topics. Judging from interviews, he leaves the impression of being a true rebel and a genuine artist. Ironically, it is anonymity and at the same time the status of commercially successful superstar that has made him, as the media put it, into an ‘urban legend’. Of course, it certainly is possible that he may be a refined manipulator. There is, however, quite a pragmatic explanation also: the fear of being prosecuted, as the majority of relevant authorities see his stencil illustrations on city walls as vandalism, like any other graffiti tags (artists’ signatures) and pieces (drawings, paintings). Art critic Anne Marit Waade points out that street art is a particular form of unofficial art with artistic significance, operating within the context of the significations of art and culture, but is not dependent on traditional conventions of art institutions.(2) The street functions as an open gallery, which allows [the artist] to address a much wider circle of viewers than an elite selection from art institutions. If graffiti and street art moves into the galleries and art auctions, then this raises an important question whether by definition it is graffiti and street art any more. Banksy expressed his anarchistic attitude towards the art establishment in his actions of 2005, when he personally installed several paintings in art galleries and museums of London and New York. Like many others, for him street art is a way to comment and criticise consumer society and to voice political and social protest. For instance, the film shows how Banksy brings into Disneyland an inflatable doll clothed in the orange suit of a U.S. Guantanamo Bay Detainment Camp inmate, and by placing this in a theme park makes the public, eager for entertainment, aware of the ugly reality of human rights violations. One of Banksy’s famous political works is 9 pieces on the West Bank Barrier, a segregation wall that the Israeli government built separating Israelis from Palestinians. This and other works(3) allows to assert that for Banksy the message is important, a message which urges a passer-by to stop a while and reflect on the society in which we are living. | |
 | |
| Graffiti and street art, traditionally considered to be noncommercial, has now become a commercial and popular product – in its way a souvenir and a logo – at art auctions, in advertising and in the marketplace. Graffiti is today being used in the design work for music albums (Banksy’s design is on the cover of Blur’s album Think Tank), in political advertisements (the famous Barack Obama portrait by Shepard Fairey), youth clothing design, etc. Anne Marit Waade posits that graffiti and street art are a part of contemporary global culture and have been the trendsetters both in the fashion industry as well as in contemporary art.(4) Graffiti these days is just as desirable a collector’s trophy as other works of classic or contemporary art. Although Banksy’s stencils on city walls have fetched unbelievably high prices, his attitude towards the commercialisation of contemporary art has been expressed in the depiction of an auction scene of people bidding for a picture that says, on a white background in a gilt frame: “I Can’t Believe You Morons Actually Buy This Shit.” It could be that with this film Banksy wants to restore respect in the eyes of those fans who accuse him of selling out. Still, against the backdrop of Mr Brainwash (and many others) to whom Andy Warhol’s saying could be applicable that “earning money is an art and the best art is good busi¬ness”, Banksy seems to be a real punk and a terrorist of the Establishment. But what’s money to Banksy? In his workshop cabinet there is a heap of fake British £10 notes, printed in 2004, on which the picture of Queen Elizabeth II has been substituted with a picture of Princess Diana, and the notes have been issued not by the Bank of England, but by Banksy of England. (1) Lindboe, Ole. Kunstens Køtere. Gadekunstens kunsthistorie. Christiansdal: Forlaget Sohn, 2008, s. 8. (2) Waade, Anne Marit. Kys Dine Vinger, Street art som uofficiel kunst i byens rum. In: Hedegaard, Mariane. Graffiti som engagement. Århus: Klim, 2007, s. 120. (3) www.banksy.co.uk. (4) Waade, Anne Marit: Kys Dine Vinger, Street art som uofficiel kunst i byens rum, s. 117. /Translator into English: Sarmīte Lietuviete/ | |
| go back | |
