LONDON.- A new mural of Banksy drew crowds to a street London on Monday, even before the elusive graffiti artist confirmed that the work was his.
The artwork in the Finsbury Park neighborhood covers the wall of a four-story building and shows a human figure holding a pressure hose, similar to those used to spray insecticides, next to the large tree
The tree has been severely pruned and streams of green paint sprayed on the building’s wall replicate its absent foliage. Banksy claimed authorship of her work by publishing before and after photos of her on her official Instagram account.
Environmental message
The new mural attracted crowds of onlookers taking photos and selfies. Many perceived an environmental message in the bright green artwork, which appeared on Sunday, St. Patrick’s Day.
“The tree looks very sad without branches and without vegetation,” said Pura Lawler, on the way to a gym class. He felt that Banksy was saying something about: “destroy the forests, destroy the vegetation.”
Former Labor Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, who represents Finsbury Park in Parliament, said the job: “makes people stop and think: ‘Wait. We live in one world. We live in one environment. It’s vulnerable and is about to suffer serious harm.”
“Environmental policy is as much about densely populated urban areas, like this one, as it is about farmland, forests and bushland,” he added.
critical art
Banksy, who has never confirmed his full identity, began his career spray painting buildings in Bristol, England, and has become one of the most famous artists in the world.
His mischievous and often satirical images include two kissing police officers, armed riot police with yellow smiley faces, and a chimpanzee holding a sign with the words: “Challenge now, but one day I’ll be in charge.”
Banksy’s work has sold for millions of dollars at auction, and previous murals in outdoor sites have often been stolen or removed by building owners shortly after being created. In December, after Banksy stenciled military drones on a stop sign in south London, a man was photographed removing the sign with bolt cutters. Police later arrested two men on suspicion of robbery and criminal damage.
The last work would be more difficult to knock down, since the piece depends on the tree for its impact.
“It’s nice to see it before it’s vandalized,” said Geoff Gardner, who stopped by on his way to work. “I guess if someone comes and sprinkles red paint on it, you might as well call that art.”
Alex Georgiou, whose company owns the building, said “it’s pretty crazy to be honest, coming here and seeing all this crowd of people looking at the building.”
“I definitely plan to keep it there and let people enjoy it,” he said. “Everyone loves it, which is great.”
FUENTE: AP
