A critical view

As an exhibition of work by Blek le Rat, the pioneering French street artist dubbed 'Banquesy', opens in London, Matilda Battersby meets the godfather of graffiti

As an exhibition of work by Blek le Rat, the pioneering French street artist dubbed 'Banquesy', opens in London, Matilda Battersby meets the godfather of graffiti

A sculpture of a "vandalised" priest by the underground artist Banksy has gone on display today alongside 17th-century Old Masters.

Poetry. That's what the Poetry Society specialises in. Stanzas and similes – not sniping and scandal. Though you could be forgiven for forgetting that, what with the epic in-fighting, domino tumble of resignations and massacre of trustees that led the Arts Council to withhold its funding from the organisation last week. Anyway, Radio 4 offered a salutary reminder of the society's century-old values this week with the first of its quarterly Poetry Workshops. Presented by Ruth Padel – a figure well versed in controversy following the Oxford Professor of Poetry debacle in 2009 – the programme promised to "go behind the scenes of a poem", visiting regional poetry groups and offering advice to budding writers.

A spray painting of Amy Winehouse believed to be by anonymous street artist Banksy has appeared in Camden.

An exhibition of street art curated by Jean-David Malat opens at the Opera Gallery in London from tomorrow.

Banksy has been paired with an emerging urban artist working under the moniker War Boutique for an exhibition which opens on Thursday.

In March, I wrote about the strange history of a water-tank by the Pacific Coast Highway in Los Angeles which had been jollified by the street artist Banksy during a recent visit to Southern California, with the words "this looks a bit like an elephant."

They called it "art in the streets" and that is exactly what they got. The Museum of Contemporary Art (Moca) in Los Angeles finds itself at loggerheads with the city's police force, amid allegations that its latest blockbuster exhibition has led to a spike in spray can-fuelled vandalism.

After meeting the man hailed as Banksy's nemesis I reckon the elusive artist is much braver (or more reckless) than I'd taken him for. Said nemesis is the Eighties graffiti legend who calls himself King Robbo. A towering giant at 6ft 8in, he's as solid as an oak tree, with his face obscured by a dark hood when we first meet. If I were Banksy I'd be quaking in my boots. And I certainly wouldn't want to upset him. Which makes the artistic spat played out between these two on London's streets, the biggest public display of artistic rivalry since Matisse and Picasso, all the more audacious.