Banksy has unveiled a new mural that many view as a message that "nature's struggling"
Elusive artist Banksy has unveiled a new mural in London that many are seeing as a message on environmental conservation.
The mural is in North London's Finsbury Park, appearing behind a heavily pruned tree as the world welcomes the first day of spring. Behind the tree, Banksy painted a person seemingly spray painting green back onto the tree's limbs. The artist shared images of the artwork on their Instagram, claiming ownership.
James Peak, who created the BBC Radio 4 series "The Banksy Story," told BBC News that the color of the paint Banksy used is the same color used by the local council for signs in the area. According to the Islington Council, the cherry tree used as the basis for the mural in front of a four-story residential building is roughly half a century old and "has decay and is in declining health." The council said it continues to prune the tree "for safety and in an effort to prolong its lifespan."
The bright green mural first appeared on Sunday, which was also St. Patrick's Day.
"When you step back it looks like the tree is bursting to life, but in a noticeably fake and synthetic way," Peak said. "It's spring now, and this tree should be bursting forth with leaves, but Banksy must have cycled past and thought how miserable it looks."
"The message is clear," he added. "Nature's struggling and it is up to us to help it grow back."
Pura Lawler told the Associated Press she came across the mural while on her way to the gym and immediately thought it was a message about "destroying the forests."
"The tree looks very sad without branches and without greenery," she said.
Others picked up on that message too. Former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn told the AP that the latest artwork forces a certain perspective onto passersby.
"[It] 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,'" Corbyn said.
Environmentalism is no stranger to the area in which Banksy released the latest artwork. In 2019, the Islington Council declared a climate emergency, pledging to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2030. Along with working to improve energy efficiency across and reducing transportation emissions, the council is also working to address biodiversity loss and better prepare residents to adapt to a changing climate.
The council says it has planted more than 900 trees and is also emphasizing community food growing, reducing waste and promoting a circular economy, which entails using goods for as long as possible before recycling it so that it can continue to be used rather than wasted. For example, the council opened a "library of things," that offers residents tools and other items for rent rather than forcing people to purchase their own.