New Yorker or Tourist: Pick A Lane!

Saw this on the NY Daily News website and thought it was clever! Anonymous artist(s) divided up a sidewalk into separate walk ways for "New Yorkers" and "Tourists" on 5th Avenue between 22nd and 23rd Street. OMG, can we do this for every side walk?! As you know, if you're a "New Yorker" that time is of the essence, I mean we live in a fast-paced city. One of the nuisances that I encounter the most when walking the streets of Manhattan is the annoying tourists that block the side walk and the ones that walk as slow as a turtle. I know it's a bad habit to just want to push them out of the way and give them some sort of 'tude but it's instinctive to me! Yeah, I know I'm rude! I'm sorry. I speed walk everywhere I go and you best believe that if you are a New Yorker, it's our nature when it comes to reaching our destination. 

So, which lane will you walk in? :)

LINK: NY Daily News

Exit Through The Gift Shop - A Banksy Film

*Spoiler Alert: Read At Your Own Risk!*

This past Friday, the besties and I headed to Brooklyn's BAM Rose Cinemas to watch the highly anticipated Banksy film, Exit Through The Giftshop. Amazing movie! At first, the movie begins with French film director (later turned street artist by the name of Mr. Brainwash) Thierry Guetta explaining his obsession with filming any and everything in sight. Later on we find out that his introduction to the street art culture was actually through his cousin Space Invader who was currently beautifying walls in France with his mosaic "space invader" art work. He then finds his new focus and follows Invader around which causes him to bump into other influential artists where he documents all their high risk adventures. We also learn that for awhile he was shadowing Street Art legend, Shepard Fairey who is well-known for his "Andre the Giant Has A Posse" sticker and wheat paste campaign as well as the piece of work he is notoriously known for, the "Hope" Barack Obama poster. After years of filming Fairey, Guetta was unsure of where his filming career was headed until he hears about an emerging and very controversial street artist by the name of Banksy. The hunt for Banksy became an obsession which was difficult because the artist is and remains incognito. He then finally succeeds and was actually contacted by Banksy where he was given the opportunity to shoot and interview the artist. There's some pretty interesting footage between the two- one being the installation of Banksy's telephone booth at an alley in London and a trip to Disneyland. Anyway, the best part of the movie is the irony of it all. What seems to be a film about Banksy actually turns into a documentary about Thierry becoming a street artist himself and calling himself, Mr. Brainwash. The film then takes you on a journey on how he produces his work and how he put everything on the line to launch his first successful art installment in 2008 called, "Life Is Beautiful" in LA. The commentaries from both Banksy and Fairey were all hilarious! I loved the movie. It was funny and super clever. Even if you're not a fan of street art, I suggest you watch this film. You will laugh your pants off! 


Check out the first 5 minutes of the film:

Also as an extra treat, we witnessed street artist, Ellis Gallagher  live in action chalking up bicycle shadow art outside of the BAM Rose Theatre during opening night. I heard Banksy commissioned him to do this. It was amazing! 

Link: Exit Through The Gift Shop - A Banksy Film