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Banksy Confirms Tree Mural In North London Is His Work 

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A mural that appeared overnight on a residential building in the Finsbury Park area of northern London is confirmed to be a work by Banksy. The anonymous street artist confirmed that it was his work on his Instagram this past Monday after onlookers speculated the whole morning about how the artwork got there. 

The mural is located on Hornsey Road in Finsbury Park, and is painted on a wall that sits directly behind a tree when the viewer is looking down Hornsey Road itself, according to the Guardian. 

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The artwork features a lifesize depiction of a woman holding a pressure washer that makes it seem as though she’s spraying green paint on the side of the building. When you view the tree in front of the mural straight on and centered, the green paint also looks like foliage coming out of the plant. 

Hornsey Road residents and other onlookers continuously gathered on Monday to look at the artwork, expressing their excitement to local news outlets. 

“We’re so proud and delighted that Banksy chose our road and chose Finsbury Park for his work,” said Hornsey Road resident Wanja Sellers to the PA Media news agency. 

Other residents like Lidia Guerra praised the work while also offering a potential meaning behind it, as Banksy is known for his art pieces to have some kind of underlying larger message. 

“The way it’s been done, with the paint spraying down, reminds me of a weeping willow, so there’s perhaps a message about the struggle of nature with the dead tree in front. It’s just great – when we read about it last night, we knew we had to come and see it as soon as possible. We feel so proud to think he chose our street,” Guerra stated. 

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Resident Chris Beskin said:  “I’m absolutely delighted to see this on our street – I think it’s great and sends a strong message. I’d like to see more of it, to be honest, the more the merrier. I think it’s probably one of his biggest pieces in a while – and the fact he’s done it on the wall means it can’t just be stolen or easily removed.”

Other residents were happy that the mural gave the community the chance to come together and revel in their home’s beauty. 

The cherry tree, which works as a centerpiece for the artwork, is said to be around 40 to 50-years-old, and is unfortunately in declining health. Local reports state that the council’s tree service has been attempting to prolong its lifespan by taking care of the tree as much as possible. 

Creator of the BBC Radio series, ‘The Banksy Show,’ James Peak, spoke on the messaging behind this newest installation from Banksy. 

“The message is clear: Nature’s struggling and it is up to us to help it grow back.” 

“[The scene is] a very busy, urban, built-up environment, with the tree sitting in the gardens of some social housing. The figure of the woman is a classic Banksy-style stencil. The shade of green used to represent the foliage is exactly the same sort of virulent shade of green that Islington uses for its social housing signs,” he described. 

“So, when you step back, it looks like the tree has burst into life, but in a noticeably fake and synthetic way. And it’s pretty subtle for a massive tree, I’d say. 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,” he said.

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Mural In Kent Highlighting Violence Against Women Is A Banksy, Artist Confirms 

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A new mural located on a wall in Margate, Kent depicting the theme of violence against women and girls has been confirmed as a genuine Banksy from the artist themself. 

The mural shows a caricature image of a housewife dressed in 1950’s traditional fashions, wearing yellow cleaning gloves and a blue apron, as she pushes her husband into a freezer while smiling with a swollen eye and missing tooth. 

Banksy posted a series of photographs on his Instagram showing off the mural with the caption “Valentine’s Day mascara.” The images also showed garbage surrounding the mural, including an empty beer bottle and white garden chair. 

Violence against women and girls has been at the forefront of political discussions especially in the UK following the murders of Sarah Everard and Sabina Nessa. 

Banksy announced back in December that he had created 50 screen prints for sale that proceeds will be donated to raise funds for a charity supporting the people of Ukraine. 

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Banksy also created murals in Ukraine in the town of Borodianka back in November. One of which showed a man who looked like Russian President Vladimir Putin being thrown to the floor in a fight with a young boy. 

Another mural showed two young children using a metal tank trap as a seesaw. 

An online auction in association with Banksy’s prints was targeted last month from within Russia by thousands of “hostile attacks,” according to reports. 

The charity Banksy has partnered with is called the Legacy of War Foundation, raising funds for the people of Ukraine as they live through a devastating war with Russia. 

“In Ukraine, I saw a Legacy of War team sweep in and provide medical attention, heaters, fresh water and a friendly face to some very desperate people in a bombed-out building.” 

“They also lent me one of their ambulances to work from, which turned out to be extremely useful when an angry babushka found me painting on her building and called the police,” Banksy explained. 

“I feel the least I should do is raise enough money to replace the number plates on the ambulances I hotted up.”

Auction

Banksy’s Self-Shredded ‘Love In The Bin’ Artwork Sells For $25.4 Million

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A self-shredded work of art by British street artist Banksy, titled “Love in the Bin,” sold for 18.5 million pounds ($25.4 million) in a Sotheby’s auction on Thursday. It was a surprising number, as presale estimates had the painting fetching up to 4 to 6 million pounds (around $5 million to $8 million).

The piece was originally sold for $1.4 million at Sotheby’s back in 2018, and was then known as “Girl with Balloon.” As the anonymous female European buyer won the bid, a hidden shredder in the frame of the painting cut up half of the canvas.

It was certainly a stunning move that, when watched on video, becomes amusing when factoring in the reactions of unsuspecting attendees and workers. Thankfully, the buyer of “Love in the Bin” was happy to be a part of such a notable event.

“When the hammer came down last week and the work was shredded, I was at first shocked,” the buyer said, speaking to Sotheby’s, “but gradually I began to realize that I would end up with my own piece of art history.”

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“Girl with Balloon,” created by Banksy in 2006, featured a black spray-painted young girl reaching up for a the lone color of the piece, a red, heart-shaped balloon against the white canvas. After the shredding, only does the balloon and the smallest bit of the girl’s head remain in the frame.

Sotheby’s noted that Banksy using an “artist’s frame,” which is a heavy, Victorian-era frame, is typically how he “pokes fun at the establishment.” Sotheby’s also explained that this kind of ruse has become a norm for the artist. Previously, Banksy hung his own works of art in famous museums such as the British Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Banksy is just as unique as the stunt he pulled. Street Art Bio gives a fascinating look into the creator’s career, while also praising just how much of an impact Banksy has left in the art world due to his “no boundaries” approach.

“Banksy’s political statements and disruptive vision have impacted cities across the globe at vital moments in modern history, provoking alternative viewpoints and encouraging revolution in the art world.”

At just 18 years old, Banksy realized his desired form of art while hiding from the police after vandalizing public spaces: stenciling. Banksy would go on to create various artworks that deal with numerous themes, from designing hotel rooms guest could sleep in to oil paintings that form a cruise ship when combined, a shot at effects of mass tourism.

One of Banksy’s defining traits is his satirical takes. One such painting, “Devolved Parliament,”  depicted the U.K.’s House of Commons being overrun with apes. It ended up selling for 9.9 million pounds, or $13.54 million, the highest amount of money any one of his works had fetched up until now.

Banksy’s love of poking fun at society through primates is also shown in “Laugh Now But One Day We’ll Be In Charge,” which shows three monkeys holding up dripping pages that have the aforementioned title written on them.

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It’s not hard to see why people greatly enjoy the “variety and bravery” of Banksy’s pieces, and how he is able to leave such a remarkable impression on his audiences – so much so that Street Art Bio says the inspiration he gives to artists of all forms and experiences is known as the “Banksy effect.”

Banksy is an extremely private man – not even his full name is known, and he doesn’t give interviews. Street Art Bio says that some sources claim his name is Robin Gunninham.  However, perhaps this mystery is best left unsolved. After all, it only contributes more to the zaniness and intrigue that surrounds him.