It’s not every day you wake up to discover the side of your building has been plastered with a brand new Banksy artwork, but that was the reality yesterday (March 17) for some residents of Hornsey Road in Finsbury Park. The wall of a building in the north London neighbourhood is now covered in dribbles and drips of green paint, and it’s thought to be by the world-famous anonymous artist.
Banksy has now officially confirmed authorship of the work (which Banksy usually does by posting a photo of it on their website and social media). Fancy seeing it with your own eyes? Here is everything we know so far about this new Banksy.
Where is the new Banksy in London?
It’s been painted on the side of a building on Hornsey Road in Finsbury Park, north London. The mural consists of streaks of green paint to create ‘leaves’ behind a bare tree which is next to the building, with a figure standing in the bottom corner, who’s holding a canister.
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What does the mural represent?
According to James Peak, creator of BBC Radio 4 series The Banksy Story: ‘The message is clear. Nature’s struggling and it is up to us to help it grow back.’
Given it’s now spring, the tree should be sprouting leaves, and Peak thinks the artist might have cycled past and noticed how miserable it looks. The colour of the paint actually matches the green used for the Islington Council signs in the area, which Peak thinks is another tell-tale sign this is a Banksy, due to the attention to detail.
What’s been said about the tree mural so far?
Flora Williamson, the Islington Councillor for the area, tweeted ‘By far the most exciting thing to happen on today’s canvass session on Hornsey Road was seeing that Banksy had come to Tollington overnight. Lots of local interest – I’m a fan of it.’
And residents were pretty excited too. ‘Proud new caretakers of an apparent new #Banksy piece in Finsbury Park… Woke up this morning to it on the side of the flat,’ said one on X.
Paul Drinot said ‘If this is a Banksy, it’s the best thing that’s happened to the Hornsey Road in years,’ according to the BBC. Although, not everyone was so optimistic – another resident said ‘Banksy came overnight and now my rent will skyrocket.’
Did you see that the next two sculptures for Trafalgar Square’s Fourth Plinth have just been announced?
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