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Mayor Says Graffiti Ruins People's Property
Filed Under:Banksy, Graffiti, Michael Bloomberg, Trending
NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 03: A person walks by a new Bansky work on a side of a wall on October 3, 2013 in New York City. New work by the mysterious British street artist Banksy has appeared in New York after he announed a a month-long residency in the city. Three works in total have appeared in recent days with two of them quickly being vandalized by other graffiti. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)A person walks by a new Bansky work on a side of a wall on Oct. 3, 2013 in New York City. (credit: Getty Images)


NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — Mayor Michael Bloomberg is not a fan of the mysterious graffiti artist Banksy.

The renowned British street artist, who keeps his identity secret, is doing a month-long “residency” in New York, using the city’s walls as his canvas.

But Blooomberg, known for his philanthropic generosity to the arts, said he’s unimpressed, WCBS 880’s Rich Lamb reported.

“Graffiti does ruin people’s property and is a sign of decay and a loss of control,” Bloomberg said.

“Art is art, and nobody’s a bigger supporter of the arts than I am,” he added. “I just think there are some places for art, and there are some places (for) no art. And you running up to someone’s property or public property and defacing it is not my definition of art.”

Banksy posts his latest artwork on his website and on Instagram, and fans have been flocking to see his graffiti. On Tuesday, he painted a 9/11 tribute in TriBeCa.

His work has sold for millions to the likes of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. But no one has ever so much as confirmed his real name.

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