So, what is art? It’s one of those questions that, try as we might, there is not a definitive answer. There are many roads we can go down to search for the truth, and it may lead us to a variety of conclusions (even revelations), but can there be a point where we spearhead exactly what defines art? In order to even try to get to the top of this hill, one must find different avenues of art to explore, and I was fortunate enough to be involved in a discussion of the documentary feature Exit Through the Gift Shop, directed by a “street artist” named Banksy. Here is a movie that rips the lid off the question that started all this, and tackles it by exposing us to a type of art not typically discussed.

One of the biggest questions surrounding Exit Through the Gift Shop is whether the movie is fact or fiction. Did Banksy stage the whole affair to make a statement about the commercialization of street art, or is the monster born out of Thierry Guetta real? It makes sense to let the movie have its cake and eat it too, because whether it is real or not, both sides of the argument make for compelling discussion. The fact that Thierry never truly understood the meaning behind what street artists (or any artists for that matter) are doing speaks volumes for either side of the coin.

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