Street Art?

This is the third time I've seen this character lurking around Chicago. With his goofy grin and fancy jacket, he looks like someone I'd like to know:



But what is he? Graffiti? Street Art?


Some of the more interesting discussion on this topic has centered around Banksy, the elusive British street artist. In 2006, he left his mark on Bristol with this installment showing a naked lover caught with his pants down, hanging from a window ledge:



The city council, whose offices look out onto the image asked the public whether or not to paint over the mural.


"We have to decide if its public art or graffiti", said a city council spokesperson in this article.


I like the democratic approach of asking folks what they think. Since technically the streets belong to the community, it makes sense that the community should have a say in whether the installment contributes to or denigrates their town.


Just this past January, Banksy made the news again with this installation:

This one was notable because the installation (on the side of a brick wall) was sold (by the owner of the wall) on e-bay for $400,000.

Wow. I think $400M officially makes it street art.