Banksy Artwork to Be Treated as Graffiti

Banksy, from Bristol is an infamous public artist who has left a graphic trail of his art all over Britain – to the delight of some and the great disdain of others. Though the artist has reportedly sold one of his works to Angelina Jolie for £200,000, and another to rock band Blur for £300,000, it seems the Tower Hamlets council will be the first to officially censure his public art by painting it over. Abdal Ullah, a Tower Hamlets councilor, said, "We need to be clear here, graffiti is a crime. It spoils the environment, makes our neighborhoods feel less safe, and costs thousands of pounds each year to clean – money that could instead be paying for valuable local services."

Though Banksy is a household name in England, his true identity is not publicly known. A news documentary video on the artist can be found here.