A new artwork by British street artist Banksy has appeared in London, using green paint sprayed across the side of a four-story building to mimic the foliage of a real, heavily pruned tree that stands a few meters in front of it.
A photo of the mural was posted on Banksy's official Instagram account on Monday, where the artist usually claims responsibility for works of art to his more than 12 million followers.
When viewed from certain angles, the green paint lines up with the tree's bare branches to represent its leaves. The work includes a stencil, typical of Banksy, of a person holding a spraying device, dripping in green paint.
The new attraction drew a stream of onlookers who took photos and snapped selfies. Many discerned an environmental message in the vibrant green artwork, which appeared on Sunday — St. Patrick’s Day.
The renowned street artist's latest work also sparked interest and excitement across social media platforms, including from lawmaker and former leader of the Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn, who represents the area of north London where the art appeared.
"Banksy has come to Islington! What wonderful artwork, proving there is hope for our natural world everywhere," Corbyn said in a post on X.
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 added.
In December, artwork by Banksy showing three grey drones across a "STOP" traffic sign in south London was removed by an unidentified man in broad daylight as passersby looked on. Police later made arrests.
That fate looks unlikely for his latest piece, which stretches beyond the height of the fully grown tree and across several floors of a large building.
