Banksy has struck again with a public work of art which sticks a clown-sized boot in the face of fast-food giant McDonald's.

The British artist created a sculpture of the Ronald McDonald mascot and placed it outside a branch of the famous restaurant chain in New York. Then a man came along and polished Ronald's big red clown shoes.

The impact of this performance piece was encapsulated by the expression on the statue's face: Ronald looks down with a look of pure sneering contempt at the shoe shiner - who is dressed like a Victorian-era urchin, complete with grubby clothes.

It looks like Banksy is telling viewers that in society the rich and powerful lord it over the poor with a (burger) relish which derives from an powerful sense of entitlement.

Sledgehammer metaphors like this are typical of Banksy's work and his pieces are hugely popular for the satirical twist they put on consumer society.

Banksy is in New York for one month, in what has been dubbed a residency of the streets. He has already grabbed attention by selling his works at a stall sale for low prices.

But the high profile visit has threatened to disrupt his carefully-crafted public image. A photo claiming to be of the secretive artist was snapped when his van broke down, last week.

New York