Banksy and the Rise of Outlaw Art

I think there is a hidden concept cleverly used by Banksy that is being explained in the film.

Some very good footage and interesting characters.

Plus a different perspective on art.

On the surface, this film is a truly enjoyable walk through the history of "outlaw art" from its humble beginnings as street graffiti, through gushing acceptance by the "art world" and to subsequent commercialization / corruption with the arrival of big money speculators and wannabe cool celebs.

However, an interesting and almost casual feature of this film is how Banksy -- who has clearly collaborated with the film-makers -- deliberately allows those who care to triangulate his true identity. By naming names and including detailed interviews with many of his early collaborators, the film casually unmasks our anonymous hero to anyone who know or cares about him or this corner of the art world.

Certainly that would include the many art auction houses who deal in his work and elitist art collectors who pay millions of dollars to hang a piece of public street art in their private mansions.

So, even as the film concludes that Banksy's anonymity is part of his legend, and an important piece of folklore that drives up prices for his art in the private market -- the exact opposite of what a street artist like Banksy desires -- by revealing his identity to anyone who cares, Banksy is pulling off the ultimate prank on the art world speculators and collectors, who now have to shut up about this identity, or risk losing value in their precious collections.

So, brilliantly, Banksy uses the art world's unbridled hubris as the means to reserving his anonymity and legend for the masses, for whom he truly produces his art anyway.

Amazing! Brilliant! And just Banksy (as usual).

Well, being a native Bristolian and fan of street art since the days of 3D I found this to be very interesting and a powerful insight into Banksy. Haha.. I know many of the people mentioned in this documentary and possibly even the man himself! 10/10!

I agree with the Skeptical_Skeptic that "EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP" is the best BANKSY documentary; I have 4 about the artist and IMHO its the best of them all.

Though this is worth watching it only has a few new pieces of content, that are not seen in the other documentary releases, and its a very boringly dull presentation of almost 2 hours (having said that I find, even as an artist myself, that art on the whole is an incredibly mundane, drab and thoroughly one sided misinformation of B***S**t from a few overly wealthy and sad elitists). I think a couple of reviewers have missed the point i.e. "it is about the roots of graffiti" and introduces the early practitioners. It then goes off into introducing the people who merged themselves in with it, for their own reasons/interests etc. Before it gets to last part of dealers stealing art off the public's walls, it emphasises just how impactive his work could be for pointing out the despicable irregularities and wrongs of everyday life.

He can't be seen in this film (its just an actor I believe) as facial recognition software would identify him straight away and, he would be arrested (from the image I saw I would know who it was without the software...lol).

I have no idea why he would have done some project with the artist Damien Hirst (artist, for me, is not the choice of word to describe his crap) but he always has a plan. Anyway! He is the most distinctive creative image activist ever, and long may he reign as such, in exposing the both government and financial institutions of self greed!

Its a better watch than any of the non real, fake and - Dumb you Down - 'REALITY' television shows!

At least with "¨Exit Through the Gift Shop¨" it was a story of intrigue questioning who was trolling who, this one is just platitudes about the value of street art which is questionable by default. A picture is shredded at the end of an auction, how shocking, is it really? Farce participating in farce, which goes along with the lie that most of this is art, if graffiti were as great as the people touting it, they would invite the spray painters to tag their houses.