Uptown Magazine - April 22/10
Banksy’s Exit Through The Gift Shop
While some skeptics have assumed the documentary about notoriously camera shy street artist Banksy is just his latest prank, that hasn’t stopped curious art lovers from flocking to the early screenings of the film. Capturing cutting-edge artists such as Banksy and Shepard Fairey as they deploy their amazing stencils and large-scale cut-outs, Exit Through the Gift Shop isn’t your traditional documentary. After following Banksy around for a couple years, French artist Thierry Guetta managed to capture some amazing never-before-seen footage, but wasn’t able to put it together in any meaningful way. It’s well known that Banksy consciously avoids the spotlight and this film isn’t any different. While the doc focuses on street art, Banksy ends up turning the camera on the eccentric Guetta (who is responsible for the Space Invaders mosaics in Paris and other cities) and manages to avoid giving up his well-hidden identity. “The redirection is not an act of humility,” writes Julian Sancton in a recent piece for Vanity Fair. “It allows Banksy to come off as cheeky and mysterious — his face obscured beneath a hoodie, like a Jawa’s, and his voice menancingly distorted — while not seeming arrogant.” A five-minute preview has been uploaded to YouTube. No word yet if the documentary will be shown in Winnipeg.
Quick Hits
Video of the Week: John K. Samson – Heart of the Continent
With new material from Winnipeg punk laureates The Weakerthans still a couple years away, these new tracks from frontman John K. Samson are going to have to do. Set to be released as a series of seven-inch releases, Samson performs Heart of the Continent live in Düsseldorf, Germany.
MP3 of the Week: Dave the Drummer
Around since the second wave of techno swept through Europe, the U.K.’s Dave the Drummer (Henry Cullen) has gone from playing DIY warehouse parties with Chris Liberator to performing at some of the world’s most prestigious electronic events and clubs. While he has toned down the speaker-testing acid sound he helped pioneer in the ’90s, that doesn’t mean he is getting soft in his old age. Cullen makes an anticipated appearence in Winnipeg on April 24 when he performs alongside URieL, EnCode and Alex Ridley at Pure Night Club.
