Banksy is an infamous UK-based graffiti artist who has painted stencils all over the world, employing a dark humor to explore political and social critiques and themes. In 2008, around the 3 year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, Banksy descended upon New Orleans and painted a number of pieces around the city that commented on the post-Katrina quagmire. This cache is located cater-corner from one of his few remaining New Orleans pieces, which has been preserved behind a piece of plexiglass on the side of a private residence.
This piece is a stencil of the “Gray Ghost.” According to a number of blogs, Banksy was quoted as saying "I came to New Orleans to battle the Gray Ghost, a notorious vigilante who’s been systematically painting over any art he can find with the same gray paint since 1997. Consequently, he’s done more damage to the culture than any category five hurricane could ever hope to achieve.”
My understanding of the story of this piece is that originally Banksy had painted a flower on this building. The Gray Ghost then came and painted over the flower. Banksy then followed up with a stencil of the Gray Ghost painting over the flower.