a few years ago i attended an uh-mazing banksy exhibition in downtown los angeles and have been eagerly awaiting the elusive graffiti artist's return.  alas, mr. bansky choose instead to set up his latest wares in new york and bristol.

on june 13th, banksy's largest exhibition entitled "banksy versus bristol museum" was unveiled at the bristol city museum.  it features more than 100 of banksy's works mixed amongst the museum's permanent collection (including a mouse with a backpack tucked inside of a natural history case.  someone, please send me a picture! check out the mouse here.  thanks, matt, more the picture!).

on opening day, a line of eager fans snaked around the corner, waiting more than an hour for admission.

for once, banksy's art was celebrated and not berated by a museum.  in fact, banksy said, "this is the first show i've ever done where taxpayers' money is being used to hang my pictures up rather than scrape them off."  pretty funny considering that bristol-raised bansky was once sought out for vandalism by his hometown police.

and finally, a picasso banksy WHORANGE philosophy...

{images via art of the state, nikolaasB, and the guardian uk.}

UPDATE!  more banksy vs. bristol images here, including a bong in the china cabinet!  check it out, poodles.