The practice of marking a wall to record and communicate traces back to the hieroglyphs of Ancient Egypt, though in the modern day, it resembles more so the “tags” of New York that trace all the way back to the 1960’s. Today, these markings are considered street art or graffiti depending on their message. A common misconception within the community is that the terms graffiti and street art may be used interchangeably, however I find that to not necessarily be the case. From my perspective, it appears as though they have many commonalities being composed of the same elements and one cannot exist without the other, but they are not the same in terms of intention. Street art is often commissioned or preserved under the supervision of the city and shares thought-provoking messages made clear by the artist, whereas Graffiti is not approved by anyone beforehand and the painter often does not want to discuss the purpose of their work.
I consider street artistry to be more of a secondary sociological group, for the reason that there are much larger impersonal settings in which the artists interact with each other and is not as emotionally tight-knit as a family, significant other or even an arts collective might be. Primary groups are composed of people that we interact with every day and hold great significance over our social development due to their ways of serving emotional needs and expression rather than pragmatism. While both groups are similar in organization and purpose, they distinct themselves when it comes to execution and impact. Primary groups are believed to support expressive function, while task-focused and time limited secondary groups go on to serve a considerably more instrumental function within society. It is important to take into consideration that both groups are viable aspects of social life as there are no rules when it comes to social groups and it is healthy for people to move from one group to another.
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Art will always be questioned in its originality and authenticity, however I have noticed more often than ever that the same concepts and aesthetics are being recycled due to their popularity and relevance within today’s society. It is no secret that a number of the artists on Pinterest, Etsy and even local markets garner inspiration from the works of others, but put their own small personal touch on it to avoid facing potential consequences for copyright. For example, there are a number of online accounts selling personalized Disneyland mouse ears. Technically, that would be a copyright infringement due to the fact that Disney owns the mouse ear logo, along with all of the characters from each movie. However, by making small alterations, utilizing the technology available today and crediting Disney merely as a source of inspiration for their work, shop owners have found great success in selling their ears online at a much lower cost than the park does. In the same way, there are only so many possible chords and keys on a piano. Very few people notice how a number of popular songs in the world share similar, if not the same chords though there are different lyrics. It might be argued that the song was written with those chords because they are audibly appealing to the audience and the artist felt deeply inspired by the works that came before. On the other hand, the song might have been written with those chords simply for the reason that they are relevant in today’s society and therefore will attract a larger audience out of relevance, in turn, becoming mainstream.
Thierry Guetta’s interactions with well-established street artists such as Banksy, Invader and Shepard Fairey served as a massive social resource for him in learning (or, appearing to, at least) what the street-art world is about and how to find success in it. Banksy in particular is a very skilled and known street artist, producing iconic works that serve as cultural symbols. It is likely that they could have inspired Guetta artistically during the period he recorded his experiences with them, though he would repeatedly tell them that he was producing a film when that was not the case. I find more logic in the theory that Guetta more so took advantage of his personal connections with Banksy in being his LA tour guide in order to get in with the artistically elite and understand how they produce new works at such a high caliber of relevance. Guetta’s experience with the fashion industry and trends as a former clothing shop owner undoubtedly serves as a considerable cultural resource for him in navigating what is and is not relevant. His ability to resell what is outdated at a higher cost by conjuring some seemingly greater significance served him well in being able to sell his work at exhibits.
I do not believe Mr. Brain Wash to be an authentic street artist. On one end of the spectrum, that could be his exact point in being titled Mr. Brain Wash, however I feel the film puts that into question by providing a look at the inner workings of his mind and artistic process. Thierry never tells Shepard Fairey that he will not be compiling his hours of footage into a film, which suggests that he very well likely used it as a method of studying the ways of the street artist. Guetta unarguably copies a number of Banksy’s concepts and motifs without having any explanation other than ambiguity as to why he chose it or what inspired him to create the piece. Though Thierry might be able to walk, talk, create and sell in the same way any other street artist would; his art lacks what makes it impactful for those who pay attention, which is having something to say and being unafraid to express it.
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