A new mural by the anonymous artist Bansky has appeared in North London and been authenticated by the artist.
The very meta mural, on Hornsey Road, in Finsbury Park, consists solely of green paint sprayed on a blank wall, which, when viewed from the right angle, provides foliage for a bare cherry tree that stands in a small grassy plot and whose limbs have been harshly trimmed, leaving it looking stunted.
The painting also features a stenciled life-size figure standing on the ground with a spray can so that it seems they have have just painted the foliage and are looking up at their handiwork.
It is customary for the artist’s studio to authenticate new murals by posting photos to social media, and a photo of the tree and the wall before the green was added have just appeared on the artist’s Instagram account. Cleverly, the post includes before-and-after photos, so it’s clear that the photographer was there before the mural appeared.
People gather to photograph the new London mural by Banksy. Photo: Stringer/Anadolu via Getty Images.
Dozens of people have been flocking to the site to see the street artist’s newest work. “It feels like a personal message to us residents, we just feel so proud,” Wanja Sellers, who lives along the street from the mural, told the BBC. James Peak, who created a BBC radio series on the artist, told the publication that the green matches the hue used for signs in the local area, so that “it looks like the tree is bursting to life, but in a noticeably fake and synthetic way.”
Local politician Flora Williamson told the BBC it was “incredible” to have a Banksy artwork “right in the middle of social housing and one of the poorest parts of the borough. I think it adds intrigue and culture and brings the area to life.”
The local council is reportedly aware of the artwork and won’t remove it as it normally would with unauthorized graffiti, reported the BBC.
The piece appeared not only a few days before the arrival of Spring, suggesting a message of rebirth, but also on St. Patrick’s Day, so its green hue recalls Britain’s neighbor to the north.
Former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, who represents the area in Parliament, was quoted by the Associated Press saying that the work “makes people stop and think, ‘Hang on. We live in one world. We live in one environment. It is vulnerable and on the cusp of serious damage being done to it.’”
The artist made news one year ago, with a mural in seaside Kent in the UK that was almost immediately destroyed when a construction crew tore down the dilapidated farmhouse where it appeared.
More recently, there has been speculation that the identity of the artist, who has, incredibly, remained anonymous ever since he started painting murals in 1997, could be revealed in a defamation suit brought by greeting card company Full Colour Black.