Banksy, the elusive street artist that everyone loves, seems to have made a couple enemies. His artworks have been popping up all over New York City over the last couple of weeks for his “street exhibit” entitled, ‘Better Out Than In’.

Ranging from battered heart-shaped balloons to misattributed quotes, Banksy’s pieces have received a lot of attention in the city, which he has made his own personal museum space. Local street artists have now taken it upon themselves to deface the pieces. Are they looking for a little attention of their own or ruining priceless art? What do you think? Isn’t that what street art is all about anyway?

Banksy’s works have generated so much attention that budding entrepreneurs have started covering the pieces with cardboard, which they will only remove for $5 – clever buggers. They say if Banksy is going to treat their neighbourhood like a museum, why can’t they charge entrance like a museum does? Almost all his other pieces have already been defaced, some only lasting a day before getting tagged over.

Check out the gallery below for some shots of how his works look now. To see the before shots, go here, here and here.

[Source : The Verge, Gawker]