IS IT ART ....... OR IS IT A MEME ?

For much of the past year, the face of Tom Hanks—inarguably America's Most Beloved Thespian—has been plastered around the Lower East Side by the mysterious Hanksy, a street artist (or collective, it's unknown) who mimics the iconic work of the even more mysterious Banksy. And now, Hanksy is gone legit: the artist/collective have had its first gallery show at Krause Gallery in January 2012.

Everyone' favorite Tom Hanks-obsessed, Banksy-aping street artist is back at it with a new project—The Wooster Collective posted two photos of new Hanksy pieces focusing on sitcom legends Ted Danson and Bill Cosby.

In an interview with The Awl, Hanksy gave some clues as to this new direction: "I'm working on a series of new stuff. It's still very humorous and relies heavily on easily known pop-culture references. It may or may not include Tom Hanks/Banksy tie-ins and while nothing's been put up yet, New York can expect something very soon."