Illegal graffiti is usually seen as something that should be removed but in the case of the anonymous street artist Banksy, it is a work of art that must be preserved.

Banksy’s work appears on walls, streets, bridges, buildings, and countless other surfaces around the world. The graffitist employs existing backgrounds as his easel, manipulating and using the settings themselves to help communicate his messages. Given the illicit, prankish nature of much of his work, it has been denounced, acclaimed, defaced, and appraised in about equal measure.

Banksy’s “Designated Graffiti Area,” located in the back the Cargo Club in London is no exception as it has been covered in plexiglass to protect it both from being white-washed or further marked by less acclaimed street artists.