The first five minutes of the Banksy documentary, EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP, are now available online for your consumption.

There have been a handful of documentaries made about graffiti culture, most notably 1983's STYLE WARS. For obvious reasons, there aren't a lot of artists willing to appear on camera doing something that is frowned upon by neighborhood boards and business owners alike which also happens to be completely illegal.

Graffiti art is just that, however, and it's an art form that has transcended hip-hop culture to become a worldwide phenomenon. More and more artists are even being commissioned by some cities to be a part of the beautification process, turning a once uremic colored side of a building into something you'd go out of your way to walk past. Some of these one-time criminals have even traded out the wall altogether, instead throwing their style onto canvas for a gallery show.

Part of the appeal of graffiti though, is its rebellion and Banksy understands that. Part artist. Part outlaw. Currently, someone (who may or may not be Banksy) going by the name of Mr. Brainwash is putting on a "show" called ICONS that boasts nearly 15,000 sq. ft. of art & installations here in the meatpacking district of New York. Banksy also had a display in the fall of 2008 called The Pet Store install, where mechanical chicken McNuggets dipped their beaks into sweet n' sour sauce in a barn and a monkey watched TV wearing headphones. If these installations are any indication of what to expect, I can't wait to check out EXIT when it comes out.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0b90YppquE&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP will have a limited release on April 16th.

Source SlashFilm