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Due to the phenomenal success of street artists such as London's Banksy, graffiti is losing its negative image and moving into the mainstream where big money can be made. Davin O'Dwyermeets some homegrown daubers and Cathy Dillonlooks at the global picture

IT WAS A TALE OF two art sales that illustrated the current predicament of street art. An auction made headlines because of what it didn't manage to sell - five works by Banksy, the world's most famous street artist, which failed to find any buyers after doubts were raised about their authenticity. The pieces, expected to fetch between £200,000 (€253,955) and £275,000 (€344,188), were done on the street, and the pseudonymous artist is refusing to approve work that has been removed from its original settings, "because Banksy prefers street work to remain in situ and building owners tend to become irate when their doors go missing because of a stencil", said the official Banksy approval committee, Pest Control.