Catfish

Catfish is a documentary that reveals the shocking reality of web 2.0 and social networking.  Yaniv Schulman has to learn this harsh reality the hard way as he builds a romantic relationship with a girl named Megan that he believes to be his age.  Yaniv does not question any of the stories or details about Megan because he does not suspect to be deceived or perhaps he was just naive about the reality of web 2.0.  Facebook is a medium that can easily be exploited and allows people to hide behind pictures that can grant anonymity.  In this case Yaniv falls for a girl that turns out to be a 40-year-old woman that has created a false identity to hide from her own reality.  Yaniv finds the truth out the hard way when he shows up at Megan’s house for a surprise visit and she turns out to be the 40-year-old Angela that made up multiple identities in her effort to escape her own disappointing life. 

Instead of returning the cruelty, Yaniv realizes that he wasn’t a part of a scam as much as he was part of a getaway for Angela.  Yaniv sees a woman struggling to find happiness in a family with handicapped children and a dead end art career.  However, in the end, he finds out that Angela was lying about several other factors such as having cancer and that in my eyes is the most unacceptable lie.  Social mediums such as Facebook leave themselves vulnerable to secret lives and identities but to make up a real life lie about a sickness that kills millions of people is more disturbing than the rest.  Several critics suggest that this movie is fabricated and that it was filmed solely with the intention of educating the public on the dangers of social media and using them to build relationships. 

We have learned in class both through lecture, readings and video that social media and web 2.0 are the present and future of communication.  The advances that we have made have opened up the possibilities of establishing and rekindling friendships but have also opened up the potential for deception.  Democratized media means that the public is in control of content.  This concept takes center stage in Catfish, as there is no fact checking that exists that forces Angela to prove her identity.  A system like this leaves people susceptible to lying, deceit and on a grander scale, harm and theft.   As we saw in Digital Nation and Exit Through the Gift Shop, web 2.0 is the cause of much controversy that can have both positive and negative effects.  In Catfish we are witness to the negative repercussions and how the system can be exploited.  However, in the other documentaries that we watched we see how web 2.0 can bring people together all over the world and help people achieve their goals.  These documentaries help us understand the nature of web 2.0 and educate us on the potential of both sides of the spectrum.   

The progression of the internet has seen rapid development over the past decade with the introduction of web 2.0.  Prior to web 2.0, the internet was characterized by webpages and hyperlinks.  The internet was geared more towards static websites, html and information retrieval.  This phase of the internet featured free hosting services such as geocities that acted as the few ways to interact online.  Email was also a source of interaction that allowed people to connect and conduct business and personal information.  Web 2.0 is based on democratized media, social networking and the participatory web.  The shift of the web occurred due to technological advances and the behavior of internet users.  Web 2.0 includes features such as MySpace, Facebook, Youtube, Twitter and many more.  Blogs, Wikis and folksonomies have taken center stage as information sharing has become the way of the present.  User generated content and virtual communities add plenty to the online world but also provide a few dangers, such as we saw in Catfish and with Andre Keen.  These features allow people to connect all over the world for various necessities such as business.  However, it could potentially lead to identity fraud and deception among users.  In Catfish we saw that with this style of communication, innocent people can end up being mislead and misinformed by other people with personal or mental problems and insecurities.  Andrew Keen also pointed out the drawbacks of democratized media with its lack of fact checking and elimination of the middle man. 

Exit Through The Gift Shop

Exit through the gift shop is a commentary on how we have progressed as a society and how our great strides can impact us as a culture.  Thierry Guetta symbolizes a man who made great strides and followed his ambitions.  Using a camera and a spray can, Thierry and Banksy were able to capture a movement and educate the public about the story behind it.  People are fascinated by graffiti and wonder who, why and how it appeared and this documentary answers those questions.  In many ways this film is about artists not only calling out to society, but in some cases realizing their own calling.  Thierry spent countless hours behind the camera and through his filming, he learned a lot about the graffiti movement and himself as a person.  When his hours of video culminated into an unwatchable film, it sparked the realization that perhaps he was on the wrong side of the camera.  After Banksy watched Thierry’s horrible film and he decided that he would take on responsibility, he told Thierry to go out and become a street artist.  My interpretation of this event is that Banksy was trying to get rid of Thierry and get him out of his hair so that he could work on the film without distraction, but in the end through this he created a monster.  When Banksy sent Thierry out onto the streets to become a street artist, I bet he never imagined that it would end in such an uproar.  Thierry’s exhibition seemed to be met with much dismay from Banksy and Sheppard Fairey because they felt as though he was exploiting the art form that they were so passionate about.  However, through the creation of this film, Banksy was either perhaps trying to present street art gone wrong, but in the end I feel it further promoted Thierry’s career.  By casting Thierry as a protagonist for the majority of the movie, the viewer builds a relationship with his character and despite the negative response from fellow street artists at the end, you can’t help but feel good for him and his success. 

In terms of the conspiracy theories cited in the Fast Company and Entertainment Times Online articles, I feel that this adds a whole different perspective to the film and encourages me to re-watch the film.  I almost buy into their theory that Thierry was a creation of Banksy and Sheppard Fairey because when I think about the image that they chose for Mister Brainwash of Thierry holding the camera pointing out at the street, it could symbolize that every action is being watched by a big brother.  If this turned out to be true, it would be one of the most amazing twists and pranks in film history.  If this is the case then the film portrays an entirely different commentary, one about cleansing and resurrecting street art from a commercialized reputation and restoring its purity.  I would be amazed if Banksy and Fairey were able to pull this off without leaking the true story.  However, part of me would not be surprised because the lives of a street artist are shrouded in mystery and ambiguity.  The plot holes that the Fast Company article points out do make a lot of good arguments in their favor.  Thinking back on the movie myself, I can identify with the article and the points that are made.  I cannot imagine a man sinking all of his time and money into a project of this nature while neglecting and endangering the wellbeing of his family.  It seems sketchy to me that Banksy and Sheppard Fairey, who are all about the integrity of street art, would go on camera to further commercialize the industry if they did not have an ulterior motive.  The movie poster below even suggests mystery and ambiguity.

Compare and Contrast the work of MBW to that of other street artists profiled in the film. How does it stand up?

            In terms of content and originality, the work of Mister Brainwash pales in comparison to that of Bansky, Sheppard Fairey and Space Invader.  Mister Brainwash ripped off a number of famous artists and well-known street artists.  For this, Mister Brainwash could have potentially been sued the same way that Sheppard Fairey was sued for his Obama image (only it would be more justifiable).  His form of art took already popular artwork and photoshopped them to make them his own.  Mister Brainwash lacked originality and in some cases, he was not even responsible for the production of his own work.  The fact that his work sold for such ridiculous prices is in itself ridiculous and provides a sad commentary the fall of real and tasteful art.  I could see myself being able to create work of a similar quality and the thought of it being sold for a million dollars is outrageous  It goes to show that much of the demand for art comes from reputation and not from quality.  In comparison to the work of Banksy, Sheppard Fairey and Space Invador, Mister Brainwash lacked purpose and inspiration.  The highly touted street artists created with a meaningful intent that was meant to provoke thought and teach society.  These artists were focused on the integrity of the art and the message whereas Mister Brainwash was centered on self-promotion. 

            Although there were clearly different intentions among the artists, this is not what made Mister Brainwashes’ art inferior to the others.  The fact that he was creating with an intent to gain publicity and generate revenue does not reflect the quality of his work.  Rather it is the originality and quality itself that proves that Mister Brainwash was not of the same caliber as his peers.  His intentions were not what kept him from becoming a great artist, it was his lack of originality, inspiration perhaps practice that set him apart from the other artists.  The work of Banksy such as the English phone booth was intended to make a statement and cause a commotion, whereas Mister Brainwashes’ work was often uninspired and lacked a clear message.  His art was comparable to Sheppard Fairey and Space Invader in that they eat had a signature design that they were known for.  Mister Brainwash had his camera, Sheppard Fairey with his Andre the Giant sticker and Space Invader with his space invaders.  This was an attempt to generate recognition among the public.  In the end though, although Mister Brainwash profited from his art, it should not be held to the same standard of Banksy, Sheppard Fairey and Space Invader.  The fact that his art sold for so much money is a poor reflection on the art industry or perhaps just an indication that times have changed.

Status Report

Vector Image Tracing

Vector Image

Original:

On top is the original New York Knicks logo and the bottom is my edited version after tracing and some of my own additions.

Edited: