Monday, May 23, 2011
STREET ART
Today's film was
Exit Through the Gift Shop (2010)
So, maybe not street art. Graffiti?
In any case this is a fun film that has several things going for it. Lots of video shots of graffiti artists at work. I have never seen this before. Some stuff about Banksy, who produced this film, that I did not know before. His is high-graffiti in the sense that he is an excellent draftsman (stencils mostly) and very witty.
And, the through story is about this french guy who does the early videos, gets to know Banksy, tries to make a graffiti film, fails, Banksy takes it over and, in the end, the video guy tries to do a big show of pop art which, incredibly or not, wows the LA art scene and he makes millions of dollars and goes on to do the new Madonna album cover. Whew. One breath.
What is the point? Some think that the whole thing is a hoax. I did not. Time has shown not.
Look. I know that graffiti is vandalism and against the law. But I also know that I like it when I see it when it is "good". Whatever that means.
I used to enjoy the railroad ride into New York City because it had some of the best graphical graffiti that I have ever seen.
Banksy is a different case. A provocateur. His work on the Gaza wall in Israel is stunning. Mockery is his forté.
All this is rather Warholian. So, I am an audience.
As a former art buyer I would not be interested in any of this. But one guy we collected, Sam Earle, is strongly influenced by street art and, I am reasonable sure, had a history of this kind of thing in his past. He uses icons, he makes his paintings on real doors, he covers them in a kind of plate that looks laid down. It has nails or nail heads throughout. The subjects are often ironic.
The other main guy is less streety but still uses icons, has DNA symbols working around his work and uses high art as a take off point.
So there you are. This is right in my area of interest. A ittle rough and a bit cheesy and seedy but it is mostly stuff that is made on the run, at night, with the cops breathing down their neck.
I liked the film. I thought it funny and a little scary at the same time. I would not mind seeing it again as it goes fast. there is a lot to miss.
There is nothing like the exhilaration of the early videos with young guys doing the derring do thing up the side of buildings. Like parkour with a mission.
I will give it a 4 out of Netflix5.
