Banksy and Picasso?

Word has got out that work by the graffiti-artist Banksy, whose professed preference for anonymity has, ironically, helped make him famous, goes up this weekend at Vanina Holasek Gallery in Chelsea. (You might not call it Banksy's show, since the artist disavows any connection with gallery mountings of screenprints on his website...although, this, too, may be a Banksy highjinks.) Gawker gave it a mention earlier in the week. (They are not amused.) Bloomberg offers another perspective today, quoting Ralph Taylor, a contemporary art specialist at Sotheby's:

"For a growing number of collectors from America, Asia and Europe, owning a Banksy has become almost important as owning a Picasso."

Really? It seems highly suspect to equate an artist that no one had heard of until several years ago with the man who invented Cubism.