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The north London neighborhood of Finsbury Park woke up to an artsy surprise on St. Patrick’s Day. Elusive artist Banksy struck again, creating a mural on the side of an otherwise unremarkable building. Mostly made up of cleverly placed drips of green paint on a wall, the work interacts with a severely pruned tree in the foreground, making it look like it’s been brought back to life.
Banksy confirmed the authenticity of the mural via Instagram after crowds began to gather around the piece of street art. The artist shared a “before” image of the tree with its sawed off branches against the wall behind it with gray painting peeling off. The “after” photo dramatically alters the scene, making the tree look like a thriving willow.
Like most Banksy pieces, the mural features a stencil. Here, a person holding a sprayer wand and covered in green paint gazes upwards towards the tree. James Peak, creator of The Banksy Story, told the BBC that the green paint used in the mural matches the shade used by Islington Council for signs in the area—a testament to Banksy’s eye for detail.
“When you step back it looks like the tree is bursting to life, but in a noticeably fake and synthetic way,” Peak explained. The expert believes that Banksy must have noticed the tree and, seeing its desolate appearance, decided to give it back its leaves in the lead up to spring. “If you go way back to the beginning of his work, he is always looking for something he can do with minimum effort to make something look really cool.”
As with other Banksy works, the public has found different meanings to it. While some have seen it as a message about the role of mankind in restoring nature, others have perceived the artificiality of the tree as a commentary on greenwashing, a practice in which large corporations offer incomplete or misleading information about their environmental impact.
While other Banksy works have been stolen shortly after their authenticity is confirmed, this one seems to be safe from theft. The placement of the tree is key to the mural, making it not that worthy without one of its parts. As for the building’s owner, he has said that he plans to keep the mural up, and that the building is currently vacant and available for rent.
Ultimately, those who call Finsbury Park home are thrilled that the artist chose their neighborhood to house one of his works. According to Islington councillor Flora Williamson, the mural is located in one of the poorest parts of the borough, and its addition has brought life to the area. For Wanja Sellers, who lives just a few buildings down from the mural, this development has been delightful. “It feels like a personal message to us residents,”she said. “We just feel so proud.”
Banksy has revealed a new mural in London, in which he brings a pruned tree back to life with green paint.
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The artist confirmed the authenticity of the mural with an Instagram post.
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As for the building’s owner, he has said that he plans to keep the mural up, and that the building is currently vacant and available for rent.
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Banksy: Website | Instagram
h/t: [NPR]
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