Talk:Mr. Brainwash

Tony Clifton

Obviously there is something suspect about Mr. Brainwash actually existing. The film does not consider his art very highly and raises arguements about the very nature of art (like warhol). Even referenceing Spinal Tap that he is taking art and turning it to 11. So whether Mr Brain Wash is an actor or is Banksy himself the page should be here. Andy Kaufman who Banksy is clearly inspired by had an imaginary character he portrayed as real, Tony Clifton and he has a real wikipedia page even though he doesnt actually exist. Both Kaufman and Banksy are taking the world for a ride and its genius. IMO Mr Brainwash not existing would make him more notable then actually existing - 192.147.235.30 (talk) 01:38, 15 October 2010 (UTC)

no sources

"french videographer" oh really, sources please, filmography, publicity of works

"His documentary" "he" is not credited as the director, Banksy is.

Checked the web and all sources are unreliable, everything sounds like a giant buzz media campaign, orchestrated to help Mr Banksy live with his guilt of making money with his good sentiments art.

The joke is probably very good, intoxicate corporate media if you want, but leave wikipedia alone.

This article should be suppressed for self promotion, or marketing, or just lack of sources, it violates the guidelines for artists entries… and if it's of any interest, please make it a sub category (character) of the aforementioned "documentary" directed by Banksy.

Seems clear this is an actor, or an alter ego of Robert Banks. Either way, not a real person. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 79.73.253.4 (talk) 05:06, 31 March 2010 (UTC)

I recently saw the Bansky documentary. It is more or less about the irony of MBW rising to fame and fortune without being talented. However, Banksy's (inadvertent) involvement in MBW's rise is a big part of the documentary. The upshot is that while MBW arguably lacks artistic credibility, and is definitely a publicity hound, he is also a real person, a (financially) successful pop artist, and the subject of a documentary by Banksy. So we can argue about what should be on his wikipedia page, but it definitely makes sense for him to have one. Miconian (talk) 17:45, 24 April 2010 (UTC)

The Intro - and the bit about most of the work isn't created by him

That intro really needs fixin up, pretty much all big artists, from Andy Warhol to Michelangelo, didn't create a lot of the work themselves, Andy Warhol and Michelangelo managed out the work to other artists to actually create much of the work, of course they had stronger art background and artistic skill, it still doesn't change the fact the artist in charge gets all the credit, and it really doesn't matter who did the actual work.

Biographical details to start!

Hi, totally agree with first talk comment, there are absolutely no "real" references or sources about this so called pop artist. I have checked the timesonline article where it says of MR. BW "Originally from a small town just outside Paris, he had moved to LA in the early Eighties". So what's the name of the town? And googling around I found this interview http://www.blackbookmag.com/article/an-interview-with-mr-brainwash/16321 wherein we learn: "I’m not like I don’t have money, I mean I work for what I did. I lost my mother when I was 11. I lost my father when I was 18." That's convenient then isn't it? And also from the same article: "I sat down in the venue with the enigmatic artist—who spoke in a thick French accent". Okay, okay, come on he's been in LA for over 25 years and still speaks in a thick French accent? Is this a put-on or what?Captain Screebo (talk) 14:56, 11 October 2010 (UTC) Why do we have no date of birth or anything? If I google his name on google.fr I get nothing or the same old claptrap that's doing the rounds of all the websites, whether in English or in French. There is some interesting info in the comments section, by Juan Rodriguez, in this article: http://www.neublack.com/features/featured-artist-mr-brainwash/ He's supposedly been in LA for 25 years "where he worked, variously, as an estate agent, a building contractor and a fashion retailer before starting to document the street-art scene," timesonline again. So, you Wikipedians in LA, come on, someone must have worked with, hung out with this Thierry Guetta? This is a bit like Scooby Doo to me, let's pull the mask off and... oh no it's the respectable but creepy art gallery owner, or something along those lines. Nothing wrong with an article about this "phenomenon", Borat's got one, but could we at least try to see through the smokescreen? Captain Screebo (talk) 14:56, 11 October 2010 (UTC)

What's this doing in the references?

Why has this bit "Mr. Brainwash is now considered as a hoax and people like Obey and Banksy, who introduced him to street art, regret ever creating MBW." just been tacked on, and what's it doing in the references section? Captain Screebo (talk) 19:31, 11 October 2010 (UTC)

Mr. Hogwash

Sorry, here we go again, could some more experienced Wikipedian come and sort this article out? Here is some biographical information gleaned from different sources which does not add up, this is hogwash and so is this character. Here's the rub: "the British art-prankster wrested control of the project and turned the cameras on Guetta, launching his eccentric 44-year-old French videographer"

Right, so he's 44 then?

"Originally from a small town just outside Paris, he had moved to LA in the early Eighties, where he worked, variously, as an estate agent, a building contractor and a fashion retailer" reference as above

So he would be about 16-18 when he arrived in LA, right?

"I’m not like I don’t have money, I mean I work for what I did. I lost my mother when I was 11. I lost my father when I was 18."

Okay, so his parents died BEFORE he came to the States, well his mum for sure, at least according to this tearjerking account.

"Thierry Guetta’ backstory is too eccentrically, even touchingly, plausible. He had lived in LA for many years with his family and he says that it was the deaths of his mother and father that inspired him to videotape his entire life"

Ah, a little problem, no, he lived in LA with his family FOR MANY YEARS and it was their deaths that launched him on his crazy, street-art documenting career?

"His biography even has holes: Guetta is an orphan (when his mother died he was sent to a foster home, he says) with a family of at least four who lives in Los Angeles, yet he has no discernible income other than owning a vintage clothing store."

So now he's an orphan and was sent to a foster family, okay? And what's the name of this "vintage clothing store"?

I don't care about the art/not-art debate or the is it/isn't it Banksy: this is Wikipedia and I find this hokum akin to having an article on The Grinch or The BoogeyMan presented as a "biography of a living person".

Come on LA, do some digging, who is Thierry Guetta, does he have a shop or is this all just horses**t? Captain Screebo (talk) 20:59, 11 October 2010 (UTC)