Banksy’s New Tree Mural Dramatically ‘Greenwashes’ the Side of a London Building

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In Finsbury Park, London, a new Banksy mural appeared on the side of a wall behind a recently pollarded tree. Installed on St. Patrick’s Day, a holiday marked by the color green, the painting features a caveman-like figure holding a sprayer, standing beneath a swath of vibrant paint. Characteristic of Banksy’s work (previously), the piece carries several meanings that relate to current social and political issues.

Perhaps foremost among the jabs Banksy may be making in this work is at the corporate practice of greenwashing, a misleading strategy large industries employ to communicate how “green” their practices are. Banksy foregrounds a dramatically cut-back tree, highlighting a pruning method that forces denser growth on lower branches to call attention to the way humans assert control over their surroundings and how nature needs us instead to allow it to rebound and heal.

See more on Banksy’s Instagram.

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