Amidst an Academy Award Nomination for the street art documentary, “Exit Through The Gift Shop” and a best selling coffe-table book, “Wall and Piece,” the faceless urban artist Banksy has underground followers wondering whether Banksy has “gone Hollywood.”

Several new Banksy pieces have popped up in and around Hollywood, California just a couple of weeks before the 2011 Oscars where, “Exit Through The Gift Shop” is expected to win the statute in the category of Best Documentary. The new pieces that have appeared in the upscale California area have again sparked the never ending discussion of whether Banksy’s creations are the epitome of subversive, public art or just plain vandalism.

There is no doubt that the new pieces which have appeared in Hollywood are just as unique and communicate the same level of social commentary as all of his past work. One piece depicts a child soldier standing in a child-like, crayon garden while shooting an over-sized gun. Upon closer inspection you see that the ammunition in the machine gun is actually crayons. His other piece depicts Charlie Brown pouring a tank of gasoline on the ground while smoking a cigarrette. At first, the Charlie Brown piece may not seem to work as well with it’s environment as past Banksy pieces, but the piece takes on new context once you know it was created on the side of a burned down building.

However, the never ending question of whether Banksy’s creations should be considered fine art or just vandalism has given way to an entirely new question, “has Banksy gone commercial?” This isn’t Banksy’s first trip to Hollywood, California. Back in 2007, he held a gallery exhibition where buyers included celebrities like Bradd Pitt and Angelina Jolie among others. The show was said to be extremely lucrative for the artist and since then, Banksy’s art has only grown in popularity.

His latest trip to Hollywood also comes with a storm of criticism from underground art fans who say Banksy has “sold out.” It just so happens that the Child Soldier piece was done on the side of an Urban Outfitters clothing store. The same store sells Banksy’s best selling coffee-table book, “Wall and Piece.” Coincidentally, it is also the only Banksy piece in Hollywood that hasn’t been removed or covered up.

You can check out tons of Banksy art and other west coast street artists on Melrose and Fairfax.