Who is Mr. Brainwash? Los Angeles-based and French born, the street artist—née Thierry Guetta—has been called a copycat, a hoax, a genius and a trustafarian. Some have accused him of being the notorious Banksy. Controversial, passionate and outspoken, the artist’s pieces—a melange of familiar pop culture images (like a portrait of Michael Jackson, below) fused with his own quirky touches (created with record pieces)—are a hot ticket in the art market, selling for as much as $300,000. Banksy found him so intriguing, that he followed the artist for his documentary that debuted at Sundance last month, Exit Through the Gift Shop. Last year, Madonna caught the Brainwash bug, commissioning him to create the cover for her album Celebration.
space at 415 W. 13th Street in the Meatpacking District New York City for an exhibit entitled Icons: Part One.
Check out his site at www.mrbrainwash.com
