A few weeks ago some of my arty friends and I got together to drink some wine and watch Exit Through the Gift Shop, the new movie/documentary about street art and fame. Let me just say I love love love Bansky and Shepard Fairey! But man do I not love MBW. I have heard rumors that Banksy and MBW are the same person but I REFUSE to even give this thought a slight possibility of existence. MBW represents all that is wrong in the art world, though he is an interesting science experiment.
The below is the description of the film on Bansky’s Website:
This is the inside story of Street Art - a brutal and revealing account of what happens when fame, money and vandalism collide. Exit Through the Gift Shop follows an eccentric shop-keeper turned amateur film-maker as he attempts to capture many of the world's most infamous vandals on camera, only to have a British stencil artist named Banksy turn the camcorder back on its owner with wildly unexpected results.
One of the most provocative films about art ever
made, Exit Through the Gift Shop is a fascinating study
of low-level criminality, comradeship and incompetence.
By turns shocking, hilarious and absurd, this is an
enthralling modern-day fairytale... with bolt cutters.
One of the most provocative films about art ever
made, Exit Through the Gift Shop is a fascinating study
of low-level criminality, comradeship and incompetence.
By turns shocking, hilarious and absurd, this is an
enthralling modern-day fairytale... with bolt cutters.
Since the release of this movie I have come across articles about a gentleman that thinks he figured out who Banksy is through his financial records. [For all you not familiar with Banksy, he is a street artist based in the UK
So I would like to know what you think. Do you think this is a publicity stunt by Banksy and his people? Do you ever want to know who he is? Do you think this is just some ‘not nice guy’ trying to make a buck at someone else’s expense? I like to believe in the purity of creation and that Banksy is Banksy and not MBW and hope to die not knowing his real name.
To all the street artists out there keep on doing what you are doing! And to Banksy’s crew and friends, you guys are great. You are incredible people to have protected his identity for so long. Google image Banksy and check out the wonderful images of his work! And watch the movie, though you will want to turn it off at the mid point it is good to watch it all the way through.
Tara
Art Ninja
I saw the movie–It's possible Bansky and MBW are one and the same but that thought never crossed my mind until I read your blog. In the film Bansky is critical of MBW–he thinks MBW is the worst kind of hack, his work is a joke and people's response to his work (including collectors), is absurd–they're all bamboozled. It's hard to believe there are that many gullible people out there with a lot of money to spend on junk? But maybe there are.
ReplyDeleteI don't want to know the identity of Bansky. I want him to stay anonymous and keep doing what he's doing. Unless he is MBW, in which case I do want to know because that's too bizarre, and terrible, and interesting.
I completely agree. Keep a lid on that identity and shame on all those people that paid crazy amounts of money for bad MBW art.
ReplyDelete