Banksy's 'EXIT'

Some 'big' news from Sundance this week, as Banksy has debuted his table-turning doc, Exit Through the Gift Shop. The film began life as the aimless, street art documentary Life Remote Control in the hands of Thierry Guetta (AKA 'Mr. Brainwash'). However, once Thierry caught a piece of the notoriety and adrenalin already being enjoyed by his subject matter, he put the cameras down to pursue street art himself (unfortunately catalyzed by his first, self-promoting portrait above, which he commissioned me to design and illustrate. Also, let it be known that I respectfully declined the request to be interviewed for Exit)....

Of course, one irony of this story is that Thierry has violated entire chapters of the unspoken 'code' amongst the street artists and their culture in his pursuit. The other, and perhaps more stomach-churning irony, is that Thierry's work is an unapologetic exploitation and 'wholesale ripoff' (LA Times succinct review) of the entire street/pop art aesthetic, which has somehow gained commercial success.