Movie Recommendation: Exit Through The Gift Shop

I loved Exit Through The Gift Shop, as you can probably tell by the fact that I’m writing a recommendation for it. This pseudo-documentary examines the world of street art and in doing so shines a light on the meaning of art and the way we relate to the world around us. The film demonstrates the inherent irony in pieces of street art – an essentially rebellious art form – selling for ridiculous fees in galleries or the absurdity of the fact that a man can go from nobody to acclaimed artist almost overnight through the right combination of passion, insanity, and public endorsement. Art is meaningless except for the meaning we place upon it; it is about the process through which we relate to the world around us, and more unique viewpoints, often termed genius, have always attracted attention and large sums of money. What’s unique about Exit Through The Gift Shop is that it points to the sad, yet logical, conclusion to this trend in the information era, where we no longer step back and examine a work, but instead get caught up in the pop splash created by that work. While the film doesn’t mull on an answer to this problem, I propose that we appreciate art for the way it helps us deal with the absurdities of the world around us. We need a frame of reference instead of artificially rising prices and praise. I’m all for an artist being able to earn a living, but simultaneously an artist should care foremost about his craft, not just making it big an exiting through the gift shop.

I highly recommend this movie to everyone with even a passing interest in documentary or art. Or anyone else for that matter. Fuck it, everyone should see this film.