Street artist Banksy back with London wall art optical illusion

A new Banksy mural is drawing crowds to a London street on Monday since the elusive* graffiti* artist confirmed on Monday that the work was his.

The artwork in the Finsbury Park neighbourhood covers the wall of a four-storey residential building and shows a small figure holding a pressure hose beside a large cherry tree. Green paint has been sprayed across an exterior wall overlooking a sad little patch down one side of the property.

The mural cleverly creates the impression of leaves on an otherwise completely bare tree, which has been severely pruned* in a technique known as pollarding*.

Banksy claimed the work by posting before and after photos of the location on his official Instagram account.

The new attraction has since drawn a steady stream of onlookers who take photos and snap selfies. Many see an environmental message in the vibrant green artwork, which appeared on Sunday — St Patrick’s Day.

“The tree looks very sad without branches and without greenery,” said local Pura Lawler, on her way to a gym class. She felt Banksy was saying something about “destroying the forests, destroying the greenery.”

Former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, who represents the area in parliament, said 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’.”

“Environmental politics is about densely* populated urban areas like this, just as much as it is about farmland and woodland and hedges,” he said.

Banksy, who has never confirmed his full identity, began his career spray-painting buildings in Bristol, England, and has become one of the world’s best-known artists.

His mischievous* and often satirical* images include two policemen kissing, armed riot police with yellow smiley faces, and a chimpanzee with a sign bearing the words, “Laugh now, but one day I’ll be in charge.”

Banksy’s work has sold for millions of dollars at auction, and past murals on outdoor sites have often been stolen or removed by building owners soon after going up. In December, after Banksy stencilled military drones on a stop sign in south London, a man was photographed taking down the sign using bolt cutters. Police later arrested two men on suspicion of theft and criminal damage.

POLL

GLOSSARY

• elusive: something or someone that is elusive is difficult to find, describe, remember or achieve
• graffiti: words or pictures written or drawn in public places, often without permission
• pruned: reduced the size of something by removing unnecessary things, like cutting off unwanted branches from a tree
• pollarding: a pruning method keeping trees and shrubs smaller than they would naturally be
• vulnerable: able to be easily damaged or harmed, something that requires protection and care
• cusp: the edge, the dividing line, the point at which something is about to change
• densely: with a lot of things close together, crowding together of parts, in this case like buildings, traffic and people
• mischievous: cheeky, naughty, prone to misbehaviour or trouble
• satirical: criticising people or ideas in a humorous way

EXTRA READING

Banksy mural in bombed Ukraine

$1.7m Banksy painting self-destructs at auction

Artist’s illusions transforming the streets

QUICK QUIZ

1. Why is the new Banksy wall mural in green paint?
2. How did the artist claim responsibility for the mural?
3. What specific message have many onlookers drawn from the artwork?
4. Who is Banksy?
5. How and where did his career begin?

LISTEN TO THIS STORY

CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Tell Banksy what to do
If Banksy could secretly come to your school and create an artwork, what would you like him to paint and where?

Write a detailed set of instructions and a detailed design idea for Banksy to create the perfect artwork for your school.

Time: allow at least 20 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Visual Arts

2. Extension
Why do you think Banksy has become such a successful artist? Write down as many reasons as you can think of. Use information in the story to help you.

Time: allow at least 20 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Visual Arts

VCOP ACTIVITY
What happens next?
Imagine this Banksy mural is part of a series made up of three murals. The three artworks tell the complete story and this mural is only Part 1. Think about what the rest of the story could be and draw the next two wall murals that tell rest of the story.

Time: allow 30 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Visual Arts, Visual Communication Design, Critical and Creative Thinking