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Supy 07/14/2011 8:41:00 PM
Art is about expressing something, conveying a message. Now whatever he did, he did it and people liked it, message conveyed. Now we can all think about what it was. : )
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Tanner 03/12/2011 4:06:00 AM
really? its real? exit through the gift shop? wwooooow. its a documentary guys...
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02/01/2011 12:20:00 AM
if he was not going to produce any art physically himself and just hire a bunch of graphic designers he should have called it "team brainwash" not even the ideas he gave the graphic designers were original he found the ideas in art books. he should have created a design team and stuck with comercial art not rip everyones style combine it and call it his own.
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02/01/2011 12:14:00 AM
nothing is original anymore but he gave that a whole new meaning. the wig paintings he did can be seen by artists far before he came onto the scene along with the "life is beautiful" basic cursive graffiti hit was used in the same style by banksy he said "i love you" in his. hate to sound like a smart a**, but dont you think this a reflection of how society as a whole engulfs its self in a style wether its art or clothing? mr.brain wash was an example of society and he became obsessed/engulfed with graff art and those artist's styles then he just shat it all out in one big clusterf***
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01/31/2011 2:35:00 AM
wait whaaaaaaaaaaaat?! so exit through the gift shop was real?
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01/12/2011 8:11:00 AM
Finally watched Exit Through the Gift Shop and immediately googled this article to confirm the story is true. Hi-larious that this shit went down. Glad to say I still hadn't heard of him until Banksy's excellent film.
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12/29/2010 9:17:00 PM
In the documentary he himself said " from what i learned from filming all these other artist that that he brainwash you im going to call myself that" Thats exactly what he did. He took all the artist he ever filmed and used their ideas to make his own first style. He wasnt an artist he didnt know how to do any of that shit. He still made something that people loved and aprriciated and isnt that what art is? Something that is going to make people think out of the box? Even if they had seen it before but now has a different twist in it makes them think something else and opens their minds? Is that not art still? When he started making his art he had nothing and dove head first in becuase he had a lot to live up too. He was a guy who filmed all these guys and he should be something amanzing. He was and the people said so also. Banksy said" there are no rules in art" so he didnt do anything wrong. He made money from it but so did other artist everyone sold out. You all Sold out.
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Bill 12/29/2010 8:41:00 PM
mr brainwash is the perfect name for him... hes brainwashed all these people into thinking hes an actual artist.
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Enric Miro Barba 10/18/2010 11:11:00 PM
I can't belive this is real.... nooo,please!!!!!
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Aristarkh 06/03/2010 3:39:00 AM
is this real?
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Daniel 05/12/2009 4:07:00 AM
This guy is awesome!
Check out his facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mr-Brainwash/71176505357?ref=ts
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L.L.Brainwashed 09/13/2008 5:33:00 AM
Tell this fucking imposter to get a new name and get a fucking talent other than ripping off other artists names and style, posing and being derivative without and acerbic wit or satirical qualities - this is shit and i can only laugh at the morons who actually bought this shit as Banksy would say! And If people have any literacy at all they will realise Banksy�s quote about MBW was a diss if you americans can grasp that!!!!
LL Brainwashed the 1 and only!
We can fight it out if he wants and make it part of an exhibition and call it ART! THE WINNER GETS THE NAME�..
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L.L.Brainwashed 09/13/2008 5:31:00 AM
Tell this fucking imposter to get a new name and get a fucking talent other than ripping off other artists names and style, posing and being derivative without and acerbic wit or satirical qualities - this is shit and i can only laugh at the morons who actually bought this shit as Banksy would say! And If people have any literacy at all they will realise Banksy�s quote about MBW was a diss if you americans can grasp that!!!!
LL Brainwashed the 1 and only!
We can fight it out if he wants and make it part of an exhibition and call it ART! THE WINNER GETS THE NAME�..
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XINE 08/19/2008 11:50:00 AM
I LOVED THE SHOW!!!
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Kelstin 08/08/2008 12:55:00 AM
"I was told by someone very very very close to Banksy that Mr. Brainwash is a "Banksy prank" aimed to prove he can start from nothing and build a brand from the ground up again. Which is why when you look at the show there is thousands of dollars worth of custom made props all paid for by Banksy. I was told that Banksy will announce he is behind Mr. Brainwash in April-May 2009. What I find funny though is how all of the garbage that is being sold through the name Mr. Brainwash will probably be worth as much as the Bansky stuff when it all goes public. Proving once again people are 3 cent wh%res for brand names."
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The Tabloid Art Ready Referenc 07/06/2008 5:19:00 AM
The Tabloid Art Ready Reference (How to Be Entertaining In New Ways) 2006 XVALA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emKF_Tb5JTU
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D 07/03/2008 10:20:00 PM
their website says it's going to be open this weekend! im definately gonna check it out.
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Derek Walborn 07/02/2008 6:52:00 PM
To clarify, my words were in no way meant to imply that Mr. Brainwash does not deserve credit for his show, as some people have interpreted. I apologize to anyone who was misled by any insinuations otherwise. He has been preparing Life Is Beautiful for over a decade. Rest assured, Mr. Brainwash had and continues to have the final say in each and every idea or project. He is a genuine person who knows what he wants and takes the appropriate measures to make his dreams a reality.
Also, there is only ONE Mr. Brainwash and Juan claiming to be him is offensive, malicious, and serves only to confuse the public. Anyone who has come to the show and met with MBW can easily say that you would be hard pressed to find a more sincere, goal-oriented, open-hearted artist in the community. An artist who asks nothing of his audience but to enjoy themselves. It is shameful that there are those out there who feel compelled to try to debase him by trying to expose some kind of evil or wrongdoing and I am appalled by how many such people exist. The implication that his name is somehow invalidated or illegitimately applied to Life Is Beautiful because he, as one man, could not possibly put it all together on his own is completely out of line and any research into the most famous artists of our time will prove that to be true. This is the last I will say on this matter, which really shouldn't be an issue at all.
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GraffHead 06/30/2008 8:11:00 AM
I took some pictures from the <a href="http://www.graffhead.com/2008/06/mr-brainwash-life-is-beautiful-opening.aspx">opening night</a> and also <a href="http://www.graffhead.com/2008/06/mr-brainwash-life-is-beautiful-part-1.aspx">inside the exhibit</a>.
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LA Weekly Reader 06/29/2008 11:12:00 PM
I believe the event will be open for the next few weekends. Its open today till 9pm also.
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christina pascone 06/29/2008 12:33:00 AM
Is this exhibit still open?! I am very interested in seeing this amazing sounding spectacle! I am doing an event on July 18 with Alex Grey and Guy Aitchison in downtown with live paintings and would love to invite Mr. Brainwash! Christina
818-428-8664
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romain 06/28/2008 9:07:00 PM
its easy to hate but harder to love
my point is NO FUCKING RULES IN ART .
the making of do not value the result , only the result matter and if you don t get it mr juan rodravagez who don t even know half of the true go FUCK YOUR SELF.
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Derek Walborn 06/28/2008 9:15:00 AM
Steven Spielberg gets credit for Jaws but only someone without any common sense would assume that he created every aspect of the film. Likewise, no one should think that MBW created every part of his show himself or hired outside help in secret.
As far as the sculptures and installations go, which is what I was involved in, some were designed and created from the ground up by me and/or his other team members. Some were requested by him specifically. The great majority were collaborative with us and MBW bouncing ideas back and forth. Mr. Brainwash has stated himself that we were hired to �make his ideas better� with the unique perspective and expertise we each bring to the table. No matter what the design, we always kept MBW�s playfulness and sense of humor in mind.
�Life Is Beautiful� is a show that could not have happened without collaboration, cooperation, and a mutual desire to make something that people are going to want to come to see. In three months myself and a group of around 5 other artists, MBW included, were able to turn a desolate, dusty studio into a vibrant, happening place. I think I can speak for everyone on his team when I say that we are as grateful to have found him as he is to have found us. He couldn�t have found a better team to help him out and we certainly wouldn�t have been able to find a better venue to display our work.
As far as Craigslist goes, yes. That is how I, at least, got my position. Keep in mind that as an artist who is brand new to LA (I moved here barely three months ago) I can�t say that I am terribly bothered by the fact that I got here just in time to immediately start working on what would be the biggest show in Los Angeles AND get one of my sculptures in the LA Weekly (which mentioned that there was a �team� involved).
For the record, we were videotaped and interviewed at all times as we built our sculptures for a documentary being shot by someone not associated with the project. Also, MBW is currently planning a book about the show which he told us will include names and photos of everyone who helped bring it to life as well as descriptions of what each person did. When I update my web site I will include photos from my work at the show in my portfolio and you can already see some at http://www.derekwalborn.blogspot.com.
My advice is to come to the show and not take it too seriously. Put away your cynical, presumptuous, pretentious notions about what you think art should say. The show is fun, easy to look at, and not meant to reveal any gut-wrenching truths about society. Are you pissed off because you can�t find the poignant social implications of Elvis Presley holding a toy gun? Relax. There aren�t any. Have fun, enjoy some complimentary organic beverages and if you are really that annoyed that MBW hasn�t given you the kind of imagery that you are so desperately looking for then use that energy to go create something that you can relate to. Create an artistic response instead of a negative, uncreative one.
In closing, MBW does indeed have a team of hired artists. Anyone who comes to the show can find us hanging out wearing staff passes and you are welcome to approach us with any questions as to who did what and how it was done. We are more than willing to discuss the show and we are proud of our achievement.
Thanks.
Oh, and by the way, it�s a huge SPIDER I built on the ceiling, not an octopus. Maybe we�ll do that next time and thank Juan for the idea.
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SWIFTY 06/26/2008 12:39:00 PM
yeah , yeah , yeah been there done that 20 yrs go ! same old shit, same old icons , put a gun on it (not even an AK47) and everyone thinks its really crass ! wow outsider art or insider art ! elvis. monroe, another stencil , another carefully applied paintdrip ! surprised there wasnt a sid vicious (maybe there is ) hey why not do che - thats really original . maybe nothing is original - or maybe try and be original by sourcing your ripped material in a slightly more original way , blah blah blah blah really bored now
this ting is really out of control now - i�m just going off now to get some cotton wool to pull over my eyes
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Juan Rodriguez 06/26/2008 12:57:00 AM
Easier to read version:
Like John D. Rockefeller Claiming to be Diego Rivera
Most people familiar with art know the story of Rockefeller commissioning Rivera to do a mural for Rockefeller Center and then, unhappy with the anti-capitalist themes, having the mural painted over. Rockefeller paid Rivera, bought the work and labor and design from him, thus, he could do whatever he wanted with the product. Maybe, if Mr. Rockefeller were alive today, instead of having workmen destroy Rivera�s art with whitewash, he would grab a spray can, splat some paint onto the workers� faces, and claim the �finished� work to be his own.
This week, hanging out every day at Mr. Brainwash�s mega McGallery, it took me a few days to notice a crew of workmen (yes, all male) hanging out, building, painting, hanging �art,� and filming. By my fourth day at the gallery, I had picked out who seemed permanent... and when I witnessed a young guy come outside to the courtyard and spray paint, I got a hunch that something was rotten in France. I hung back in the corner as this young guy with a faux hawk expertly tagged a table and then tagged the two guests books handed him. My days of hanging around and my ability to be unnoticeable (I am short bald guy that has the uncanny ability of disappearing into the background) paid off. I cornered several of the workers and found out who was who, who did what, and what was the real shuck and jive.
PUNK = FAKE
or
The "saddest" artist in the world
According to some of the actual people involved, "conceptualizing" is far too strong for what Mr. Brainwash does. It is more along the lines of: here is a pile of cast off material, do something with this � and thus his hired artist does. For further �illustration,� more along the lines of a patron asking a portrait painter to paint her portrait � no one would ever confuse the subject of the portrait with the painter of the portrait. No one would proclaim the brilliance of the subject for suggesting she be portrayed. In short, this is Mr. Brainwash�s schtick � he gives a loose direction (no design, no overarching theme, no attempt at coherence or style or comment) to an artist or craftsperson he has hired to create a work of art. How the artist interprets and renders this loose direction gets left entirely up to the artist. In some instances, Mr. Brainwash has splatted some spray paint on top of what his hired artists rendered. In others, not. And, if, like me, you viewed the show and grasped for what the thread among the works would be and could find none, you were right because the work was all done by different people largely left on their own to do the work. You know, like commissioned, rather than overseen. Yesterday, I even witnessed a fake studio be built upstairs ostensibly as a re-creation of his own. How sad is this? What prompted him to display, see, I have the toys to do this if I wanted to!
Now, in earlier eras, like in Mr. Rockefeller�s and Diego Rivera�s day, this was known as patronage and usually done to support up and coming artists. Certainly, sometimes patrons suggested to artists what and whom they might render. No one, though, confused the patron and the artist. But fast forward a century, and Mr. Brainwash is asserting himself as an artist, just because he had the kernel of an idea. Usually, in other fields such as screenwriting or movie-making, laying claim to an idea is laughed out of court. �But your honor, the hot chick and the gun in that movie were my ideas!�
Basically, Mr. Brainwash is a very wealthy guy who wants to buy his way into the art world as an artist, not as a patron. He does not need the money this art show is bringing in as evidenced by the lack of a price list and a printed catalog, the extreme disorganization of the selling such as amateurs handling the art and how no prices are listed next to the menagerie in his main gallery. The first two days, no price list existed, and still, as of Saturday, none had been printed. In short, this whole exercise is one Napoleonic sized vanity project.
So why do this? Why does a guy go to all this trouble to pose as an artist, or rather, assert he is an artist, when he is not? I am reminded of Breakfast at Tiffany's line about Holly Golightly -- Q: Is she real? A: She is a real phony. That is, I asked people involved in this for months if this is a Marcel Duchamp hoax and they insist, no, Mr. Brainwash really believes. As a man, I can only wonder what sadness lurks in this fellow�s heart at not living up to someone else�s expectations. Is this a �Daddy thinks I�m a hapless boob so I�ll show him� kind of trip? Is success more important in the end in this guy�s heart than achievement? Does he really believe he can co-opt other people�s talent and one day he�ll magically awaken with some of his own?
The most shocking thing I heard all week was from a man that said Mr. Brainwash said of all this art that he�d been doing it for ten years and just hoarding it. One simple test would prove whether this is true � invite in journalists to his studio to watch him work for a week and create another �masterpiece.� Come on, Mr. Brainwash, it�s worth it. Like any man worth his street cred, you�ll step up to defend your rep � you�ll take a punch and come back swinging. Give us your best shot. Let�s see you, by yourself, at work for a week.
Sadly, the truth is Mr. Brainwash really wants to be an artist; the fact is, he is not. In fact. these people created most of the work you saw (and imagine if this show were to support these real artists, like a true patron would, rather than to promote Mr. Brainwash):
The graffiti on the urinal courtesy of: http://www.stinklikedog.co.uk/
The Campbell�s spray cans, the gargantuan paper bag (apparently already slotted for a museum display), the Rubik�s Cube, the piles of books, the TV robot, the hanging shoes (ostensibly, Mr. Brainwash is so unversed in actual street culture that when he decided to hang the shoes he did not know of their drug dealing reference), and lots of other cool built stuff: www.newcaliforniacraftsmen.com
The cool paint splotches on the wall and the superior layout for the art was done by Mr. Brainwash�s brother Patric
The super cool person made of film cans, the octopus hanging from the ceiling, and an assortment of other great sculptures. You can clearly see the line between the sculptures on display and this guy�s personal aesthetic and style. Take a cruise under sculpture: www.derekwalborn.com
An assortment of local Los Angeles tag teams and graffiti artists (you know who you are)
and, as far as I could find out, a lot of the Warhols, the prints, the record shard collages, etc. were done by the faux hawked kid I mentioned earlier in the article, one Roman Lefeburte about whom I could find nothing on the web. Apparently, he is Mr. Brainwash�s right hand (and also in this case, his left hand) dude, who does most of the art not done by the folks already listed above. He also reportedly is slated to get a cut of the profits on the work he did, or should we instead call it pay-off money?
I asked several of the American artists if doing their work and having it sold as Mr. Brainwash�s was what they thought they were getting into when they signed on. No � they had expected an art factory of sorts, where someone actually gave them designs...
And this list here is probably not comprehensive, but it is what I could find out by talking to folks and watching the goings and comings in the gallery.
Yet, you may ask, at least he discovered great artists and gave them a chance, right? And where might Mr. Brainwash have found most of these talented people?
Where does everyone else in this town find someone to pay to screw?
Craigslist
Yes, he recruited most of these folks through ads on Craigslist. Yep. For real.
Okay, okay, you say, so what? So what if the guy is a real phony? �His� �work� makes people happy. My take, after seeing this work again and again, not �his� �work� BUT the famous folks in �his� �work� or the ones he stole from make people happy. More than once I heard people say, �How much does the Bowie cost?� or �Look, there�s a baby Michael Jackson.� The happiness they were getting, I assert, was not from Mr. Brainwash�s �art,� but from seeing the faces and things most (well, most male ones anyway) Americans already know and love: Larry King, Marilyn Manson and Monroe, The Beatles, Britney, Madonna, Scarface, Jimi, Louis Armstrong, Ray Charles, Mohammed Ali, Elvis, guns, stuffed animals, lesbian kisses, Billie Holliday, the Rubik�s Cube, Bowie, Jagger, Andy Warhol�s art, Keith Haring, police cars, books, Alfred Hitchcock, W. C. Fields, Run DMC, beer, etc. The whole experience has about the artistic merit and appeal of a trip to Madame Toussaud�s, except that the replicas here are cast with vinyl and paint instead of wax. Modus operandi: entertain with that which is already entertaining.
As for any more sophisticated commentary, the beer cans packed with �crude� oil (Petrol Light) were the only things vaguely political in the whole show. The rest was like watching a �Remember the 30s, uh, the 40s, uh, the 80s, uh, last year� episode on VH-1, many, �damn, do you remember that?� moments, and the associations into one�s own experience with the pop person or object, rather than with Mr. Brainwash�s �art.� And, no, from watching Mr. Brainwash at work, I do not think internal fantasy escape on the part of the viewer was his intent. Frankly, his intent was to become a famous artist by using other people�s fame, artwork, and new work to do it. And his ploy to become famous is working: MTV wants him to be in a video and from the information I gleaned on my last trip through, LACMA met with him about a show.
Not to say that over the course of this pageant I didn�t see a lot of people smiling. People commented positively to me that they felt welcome here � it didn�t feel stuffy or like what they expected from an art show � uptight people drinking wine. They felt that what they saw was accessible (again, the show is in Hollywood � around the corner from other tourist attractions designed to be crowd pleasers). For sure, many people attended this art show that normally would not go see art.... or make it Downtown to the Thursday Art Walk or over to Culver City to the galleries. Of course, I am happy to see people happy -- but for the most part this really is the kind of happy one gets from finding a really great fake Gucci bag and passing it off as real, or, frankly, to folks who wouldn't ever know the difference (or care). They like the name, the flash, and the bling regardless of how it gets dished up.
For the record, Mr. Brainwash has decided to extend this self-aggrandizing hoopla one more week, so if you didn�t catch his lack of cache last week, you can see the works of the artists mentioned above this week, June 26 � 29.
Article by Juan Rodriguez
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Juan Rodriguez 06/26/2008 12:44:00 AM
Like John D. Rockefeller Claiming to be Diego Rivera
Most people familiar with art know the story of Rockefeller commissioning Rivera to do a mural for Rockefeller Center and then, unhappy with the anti-capitalist themes, having the mural painted over. Rockefeller paid Rivera, bought the work and labor and design from him, thus, he could do whatever he wanted with the product. Maybe, if Mr. Rockefeller were alive today, instead of having workmen destroy Rivera�s art with whitewash, he would grab a spray can, splat some paint onto the workers� faces, and claim the �finished� work to be his own.
This week, hanging out every day at Mr. Brainwash�s mega McGallery, it took me a few days to notice a crew of workmen (yes, all male) hanging out, building, painting, hanging �art,� and filming. By my fourth day at the gallery, I had picked out who seemed permanent... and when I witnessed a young guy come outside to the courtyard and spray paint, I got a hunch that something was rotten in France. I hung back in the corner as this young guy with a faux hawk expertly tagged a table and then tagged the two guests books handed him. My days of hanging around and my ability to be unnoticeable (I am short bald guy that has the uncanny ability of disappearing into the background) paid off. I cornered several of the workers and found out who was who, who did what, and what was the real shuck and jive.
PUNK = FAKE
or
The "saddest" artist in the world
According to some of the actual people involved, "conceptualizing" is far too strong for what Mr. Brainwash does. It is more along the lines of: here is a pile of cast off material, do something with this � and thus his hired artist does. For further �illustration,� more along the lines of a patron asking a portrait painter to paint her portrait � no one would ever confuse the subject of the portrait with the painter of the portrait. No one would proclaim the brilliance of the subject for suggesting she be portrayed. In short, this is Mr. Brainwash�s schtick � he gives a loose direction (no design, no overarching theme, no attempt at coherence or style or comment) to an artist or craftsperson he has hired to create a work of art. How the artist interprets and renders this loose direction gets left entirely up to the artist. In some instances, Mr. Brainwash has splatted some spray paint on top of what his hired artists rendered. In others, not. And, if, like me, you viewed the show and grasped for what the thread among the works would be and could find none, you were right because the work was all done by different people largely left on their own to do the work. You know, like commissioned, rather than overseen. Yesterday, I even witnessed a fake studio be built upstairs ostensibly as a re-creation of his own. How sad is this? What prompted him to display, see, I have the toys to do this if I wanted to!
Now, in earlier eras, like in Mr. Rockefeller�s and Diego Rivera�s day, this was known as patronage and usually done to support up and coming artists. Certainly, sometimes patrons suggested to artists what and whom they might render. No one, though, confused the patron and the artist. But fast forward a century, and Mr. Brainwash is asserting himself as an artist, just because he had the kernel of an idea. Usually, in other fields such as screenwriting or movie-making, laying claim to an idea is laughed out of court. �But your honor, the hot chick and the gun in that movie were my ideas!�
Basically, Mr. Brainwash is a very wealthy guy who wants to buy his way into the art world as an artist, not as a patron. He does not need the money this art show is bringing in as evidenced by the lack of a price list and a printed catalog, the extreme disorganization of the selling such as amateurs handling the art and how no prices are listed next to the menagerie in his main gallery. The first two days, no price list existed, and still, as of Saturday, none had been printed. In short, this whole exercise is one Napoleonic sized vanity project.
So why do this? Why does a guy go to all this trouble to pose as an artist, or rather, assert he is an artist, when he is not? I am reminded of Breakfast at Tiffany's line about Holly Golightly -- Q: Is she real? A: She is a real phony. That is, I asked people involved in this for months if this is a Marcel Duchamp hoax and they insist, no, Mr. Brainwash really believes. As a man, I can only wonder what sadness lurks in this fellow�s heart at not living up to someone else�s expectations. Is this a �Daddy thinks I�m a hapless boob so I�ll show him� kind of trip? Is success more important in the end in this guy�s heart than achievement? Does he really believe he can co-opt other people�s talent and one day he�ll magically awaken with some of his own?
The most shocking thing I heard all week was from a man that said Mr. Brainwash said of all this art that he�d been doing it for ten years and just hoarding it. One simple test would prove whether this is true � invite in journalists to his studio to watch him work for a week and create another �masterpiece.� Come on, Mr. Brainwash, it�s worth it. Like any man worth his street cred, you�ll step up to defend your rep � you�ll take a punch and come back swinging. Give us your best shot. Let�s see you, by yourself, at work for a week.
Sadly, the truth is Mr. Brainwash really wants to be an artist; the fact is, he is not. In fact. these people created most of the work you saw (and imagine if this show were to support these real artists, like a true patron would, rather than to promote Mr. Brainwash):
The graffiti on the urinal courtesy of: http://www.stinklikedog.co.uk/
The Campbell�s spray cans, the gargantuan paper bag (apparently already slotted for a museum display), the Rubik�s Cube, the piles of books, the TV robot, the hanging shoes (ostensibly, Mr. Brainwash is so unversed in actual street culture that when he decided to hang the shoes he did not know of their drug dealing reference), and lots of other cool built stuff: www.newcaliforniacraftsmen.com
The cool paint splotches on the wall and the superior layout for the art was done by Mr. Brainwash�s brother Patric
The super cool person made of film cans, the octopus hanging from the ceiling, and an assortment of other great sculptures. You can clearly see the line between the sculptures on display and this guy�s personal aesthetic and style. Take a cruise under sculpture: www.derekwalborn.com
An assortment of local Los Angeles tag teams and graffiti artists (you know who you are)
and, as far as I could find out, a lot of the Warhols, the prints, the record shard collages, etc. were done by the faux hawked kid I mentioned earlier in the article, one Roman Lefeburte about whom I could find nothing on the web. Apparently, he is Mr. Brainwash�s right hand (and also in this case, his left hand) dude, who does most of the art not done by the folks already listed above. He also reportedly is slated to get a cut of the profits on the work he did, or should we instead call it pay-off money?
I asked several of the American artists if doing their work and having it sold as Mr. Brainwash�s was what they thought they were getting into when they signed on. No � they had expected an art factory of sorts, where someone actually gave them designs...
And this list here is probably not comprehensive, but it is what I could find out by talking to folks and watching the goings and comings in the gallery.
Yet, you may ask, at least he discovered great artists and gave them a chance, right? And where might Mr. Brainwash have found most of these talented people?
Where does everyone else in this town find someone to pay to screw?
Craigslist
Yes, he recruited most of these folks through ads on Craigslist. Yep. For real.
Okay, okay, you say, so what? So what if the guy is a real phony? �His� �work� makes people happy. My take, after seeing this work again and again, not �his� �work� BUT the famous folks in �his� �work� or the ones he stole from make people happy. More than once I heard people say, �How much does the Bowie cost?� or �Look, there�s a baby Michael Jackson.� The happiness they were getting, I assert, was not from Mr. Brainwash�s �art,� but from seeing the faces and things most (well, most male ones anyway) Americans already know and love: Larry King, Marilyn Manson and Monroe, The Beatles, Britney, Madonna, Scarface, Jimi, Louis Armstrong, Ray Charles, Mohammed Ali, Elvis, guns, stuffed animals, lesbian kisses, Billie Holliday, the Rubik�s Cube, Bowie, Jagger, Andy Warhol�s art, Keith Haring, police cars, books, Alfred Hitchcock, W. C. Fields, Run DMC, beer, etc. The whole experience has about the artistic merit and appeal of a trip to Madame Toussaud�s, except that the replicas here are cast with vinyl and paint instead of wax. Modus operandi: entertain with that which is already entertaining.
As for any more sophisticated commentary, the beer cans packed with �crude� oil (Petrol Light) were the only things vaguely political in the whole show. The rest was like watching a �Remember the 30s, uh, the 40s, uh, the 80s, uh, last year� episode on VH-1, many, �damn, do you remember that?� moments, and the associations into one�s own experience with the pop person or object, rather than with Mr. Brainwash�s �art.� And, no, from watching Mr. Brainwash at work, I do not think internal fantasy escape on the part of the viewer was his intent. Frankly, his intent was to become a famous artist by using other people�s fame, artwork, and new work to do it. And his ploy to become famous is working: MTV wants him to be in a video and from the information I gleaned on my last trip through, LACMA met with him about a show.
Not to say that over the course of this pageant I didn�t see a lot of people smiling. People commented positively to me that they felt welcome here � it didn�t feel stuffy or like what they expected from an art show � uptight people drinking wine. They felt that what they saw was accessible (again, the show is in Hollywood � around the corner from other tourist attractions designed to be crowd pleasers). For sure, many people attended this art show that normally would not go see art.... or make it Downtown to the Thursday Art Walk or over to Culver City to the galleries. Of course, I am happy to see people happy -- but for the most part this really is the kind of happy one gets from finding a really great fake Gucci bag and passing it off as real, or, frankly, to folks who wouldn't ever know the difference (or care). They like the name, the flash, and the bling regardless of how it gets dished up.
For the record, Mr. Brainwash has decided to extend this self-aggrandizing hoopla one more week, so if you didn�t catch his lack of cache last week, you can see the works of the artists mentioned above this week, June 26 � 29.
Article by Juan Rodriguez
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scott e. 06/23/2008 8:14:00 PM
Weaksauce
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Todd 06/22/2008 8:36:00 AM
He does not create any of the sculptures for his "solo" show.
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norm 06/18/2008 2:26:00 AM
Whenever I see an "artist" who paints celebrities I immediately think they lack any original ideas. He is riding on the coattails of other peoples fame. The pieces do not even comment on the notion of celebrity. In other words... this wannabe emperor has no clothes.
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sn 06/17/2008 5:27:00 PM
hi sexy
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subhumanoid 06/16/2008 9:51:00 PM
i have a love/hate against this guy. He does some fun stuff , but alot of it is kinda boring.
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D 06/14/2008 10:11:00 PM
I think this show is gonna be crazy fun!
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Bailee 06/14/2008 12:08:00 AM
I really enjoyed this article. People seem to be pretty excited about this show. Personally I think this show is going to very special. Can't wait!
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Brooke 06/13/2008 10:47:00 PM
I have been seeing his posters all over LA. This show sounds so awesome. I am very intrigued by his work and I am anxious to see what this show is all about.
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