Banksy

I was really pleased to hear that the British graffiti artist, Banksy has left his mark in San Francisco, specifically Chinatown and the Mission. He's been a mysterious superstar in London for many years, some of his work is owned by the likes of Brad & Angelina and Christine Aguilera. These stars are willing to pay hundreds of thousands to own his work!

The Mail on Sunday did an investigation to try and out him - they claim he is 34 year old Robin Gunningham from Bristol, England but the artist's agent, Steve Lazarides, denied the reports.

He's a hugely influential character with strong political views which he shows in both his drawings and his quotes - he's a couple of my favourites:

"Some people become cops because they want to make the world a
better place. Some people become vandals because they want to
make the world a better looking place."

"A lot of mothers will do anything for their children,
except let them be themselves."

Finally, Thierry Guetta, a French filmmaker living in Los Angeles tracked Banksy down and has made a short film on him. I cannot wait to see it and get a little more insight into this artists' mind. It's called "Exit Through the Gift Shop".

Chinatown:

Valencia Street:

Some of Banksy's art:

Banksy's graffeti - London:

New York: