banksy...

have you ever heard of banksy? he's a pseud0-anonymous english graffiti artist. originally trained as a butcher, he became involved in graffiti during the late 80's. his art is often satirical and he uses topics like politics, culture, and ethics to convey a message. he came to new orleans in late august 2008,  the third anniversary of katrina, and produced a series of works, mostly on buildings left derelict since the storm. but he was also making a statement about a man from new orleans dubbed "the grey ghost". he's known for his trademark dull grey paint, used to cover up any and all street art and tagging in the city.

banksy did 14 pieces in new orleans. today, i found a few. hoping to find more soon, although a few have been completely covered, courtesy of the grey ghost...and others.

this piece...

looks like this now...

this piece wasn't originally all red...

and this one is my favorite... (it's also protected with a thick clear plastic cover)

i personally, love what banksy has done in new orleans. he's not just tagging to tag. his street art is just that--art. beautiful, impactful, sometimes harsh...but he's making statements, and it moves people.