“You think you see from your eyes, but that’s wrong. You really see with your heart.”

Thierry Guetta’s entrance and prompt popularity in the world of street art was quite possibly meteoric. Known through his self-given sobriquet, Mr. Brainwash hones a vestigial quality of art that mirrors the works of contemporary street artists, only separating himself through his style of blending typical street art with stereotypical pop culture figures and images. His works curate a brutish demonstration of bold colours, prevalent in the use of primary shades, all splattered haphazardly over canvases and installations – imbuing a vehement quality of provocativeness. For a man that lacks subtlety in art and remains devoted to stirring scrutiny and exclamation towards his work, Mr. Brainwash cleaves to a personality that harbours the same quality of contentiousness that his art is famous for.

The Beginning of Mr. Brainwash
Guetta first stepped into the eyes of the public by having starred in the Oscar-nominated documentary directed by the most controversial yet eminent personality in 21st century art, Banksy. The film, ‘Exit Through the Gift Shop’ received public notoriety for being at the heart of speculations over the concealed identity of Banksy and the authenticity of Thierry Guetta, with many believing Mr. Brainwash was a comically curated façade, developed for the purpose of pulling a mere prank – as is common practice by Banksy. In reference to the actual documentary, Thierry Guetta, a French born but LA-based personality, started as a security guard and later, a proprietor of a second hand clothing store. His intermingling into the art world began with his love for filming, often noted as having a camcorder perpetually conjoined to his own face as he would go out in midnight escapades to document the nocturnal activities of street artists.

Throughout his years in the pursuance of documenting the rebellious work of street artists and with the help of his cousin – a fairly renowned street artist, as well – Guetta entered the crowd of popular graffitists, including the likes of Shepard Fairey and particularly, Banksy. Realising Guetta’s shortcomings as a filmmaker, Banksy would make a passing remark that would dramatically turn the cogs in Guetta’s life. Banksy would tell Guetta to try his hand at street art, not fully intending for him to take his suggestion seriously. However, Guetta did and in doing so, he now holds a position in the podium of critically acclaimed artists of the 21st century.

View Mr.Brainwash Original Art for Sale on Deadato Art Gallery.

The beauty of Mr. Brainwash lies in the spontaneity of his personality. His work follows a vibrant sense of unconformity as does his own character. The combination of his zestful, nonchalant and very spirited demeanour might be initially off-putting, but when considering how all these character traits were the reason behind him taking a chance on art and creating such marvels, it is hard to not find Mr. Brainwash incredibly inspiring as well.

The Work and Recognition of Mr. Brainwash
Mr. Brainwash uses a medium of art that is chiefly based on modification, particularly of standardised figures derived from pop culture and medieval history. His work focuses on cutting away images and depriving them of their original context in a way of defying their symbolic representation and cultural significance. Through this, he produces an art that simply has no boundaries; it is work that is not contained within the constrictions of social, historical or economical outlooks. Guetta once remarks, “Art has no walls. Anybody can be an artist. Art has no rules. There’s no manual.”

Mr. Brainwash also produces numerous installations, all of which are curated and demonstrated in the most unconventional manner. His art is spontaneous and through the irregularity of his craft, Mr. Brainwash identifies how art is the work of the heart and not by a specific skill or rule. This approach of having a striking avant-garde resonating within his work, Mr. Brainwash has conceived an artistic style that individualises his craft among the many other artisans in today’s world.

Having developed a particular name for himself, Mr. Brainwash has accumulated a number of pivotal achievements, from working alongside celebrities to hosting seminars in notable universities. His accomplishments stretch to him being the designer of album covers for music icons such as Madonna and Rick Ross, even working for the DJ and record producer, KYGO over a project. On top of these, Mr. Brainwash has had his works featured in multimedia platforms, appearing in television programs, with the likes of Shameless and Keeping Up with the Kardashians. Besides these, Mr. Brainwash participated in numerous collaborations with icons such as the Marvel Comics creator, Stan Lee, and the reputed soccer player, Pele. Being the chief speaker in seminars conducted by UCLA, Columbia University and so on, Mr. Brainwash has undoubtedly created a name for himself through this artwork and craftsmanship, being the ember of hope for many who find themselves in despair over life. His achievements stand as the representation of what hard work and determination can truly get you and how it pays to listen to the small suggestions life throws at you.

Conspiracies and Criticisms
Criticism is inevitable for every artist in the world, and Mr. Brainwash remains no different. From the popularity and the succeeding speculations over Mr. Brainwash’s authenticity, there has been no short of berating the work of this particular artist. With many coining him an impersonator of Banksy or rather Banksy himself, the identity of Mr. Brainwash remains in constant dismissal and acceptance, never truly narrowing down to a particular position. Whether this adds animosity towards the character of Mr. Brainwash or interweaves a curious enigma, Mr. Brainwash’s portrayal of common culture and enwrapping of that specific culture into the bounds of contemporary art is one of the most intriguing, challenging and inspiring presentations of art – adhering to the individuality that art creates within a community. In addressing the claims of fraud towards his identity and speculations over him being Banksy, Guetta, quite amicably remarks, “In the end, I became (Banksy’s) biggest work of art.”