Mr. Brainwash/Thierry Guetta and Exit Through The Gift Shop

I've been getting emails and texts all week long from people that want to know the 'inside scoop' on Banksy's Exit Through The Gift Shop, which has been nominated for an 2011 Academy Award/Best Documentary. Well, my 'inside scoop' is this:

-Yes, Thierry Guetta (aka Mr. Brainwash/MBW) is a real person. Yes, he lives and works in LA. Yes, he's a real Frenchman and I've known him since about 2002.

-Yes, I did illustrate and execute Thierry first stencils for him (above). This was several years ago and was done to help him promote his upcoming 'film', Life Remote Control. It was all 'pre-MBW'. I had absolutely no part in distributing, applying, or otherwise disseminating said image in anyway whatsoever. Once Thierry had his own stencil/sticker/poster to work with, it was all downhill from there.

-Yes, the unbearable and schizophrenic vignette of Life Remote Control shown in Exit is real.

-No, I have not done any additional work for Thierry or Mr. Brainwash since the above assignment.

-No, Banksy is not Thierry Guetta (or vice versa). No, Thierry is NOT a character 'fabricated' by Banksy. What you see in the film is pretty much, 100% objectively true and factual. Banksy is definitely a brilliant artist, but I assure you, all he did was allow the world to see the madness that is MBW. You know what they say, truth is stranger than fiction.

-Yes, I have met Banksy. No, I will not confirm his identity or speculate on alleged photos of him. Why keep trying to peek behind the proverbial curtain? You'll ruin it for everyone, especially yourself.

-Yes, I was invited to be interviewed for Exit by the director, but I politely declined. But, if you absolutely must have a sound byte from me (tongue-in-cheek), cut-and-paste your pick:

"Thierry is the Inspector Clouseau of street art."-JRF

"MBW was that last bit of dead weight that broke the rear axle of the street art bandwagon." -JRF

-Yes, I'll probably be contacted by MBW's legal team (eventually) as a result of this posting...something about NDA's, copyright violation, and other such nonsense.

Here's to wishing all the best for an Oscar win to Banksy, Jaimie D'Cruz, Thierry Guetta and everyone else associated with the Exit. It's a great film.

(above image MBW©2011)

FALCON MOTORCYCLES / KESTREL VIDEO

My friends over at Falcon Motorcycles recently posted this beautiful video documenting Ian Barry and his crew during the design, fabrication and creation of the Kestrel. Directed by Inigo Oleaga, the short captures the spirit of alchemy and mystery of that defines Falcon.

2011 Blue Rooster Print Campaign

I'm in the process of art directing, designing and executing a 2011 print ad campaign for the folks over at Blue Rooster Art Supplies, a local, independently-owned and operated store in Los Feliz.

The copy for each ad will remain constant, Wake Up and Make Something, but the focus on materials and techniques, and therefore, the aesthetic, will be vary. All sorts of available supplies from the shop will be featured; from screenprints, spray paint and hand-lettering goods, to more traditional media like vine charcoal and gouache, I'm looking forward to showcasing all of them.

Above is an in-progress, detail shot of a linocut.

Arkay's Amazing Robo-Rainbow

It's not too often that one sees radio control tech mixed with 'vandalism', but such is the case with the Stockholm-based artist, Arkay. I stumbled upon this above short, displaying his A-Team-meets-Futura 2000 contraption, yesterday via Animal New York. It appears that his handlebar-mounted, two channel transmitter operates a couple of servos that actuate both the swing arm and the can nozzles...

Great stuff.