Finsbury Park has a new addition – a mural, first seen on Sunday morning and claimed by legendary artist Banksy on Monday – and the crowds have been flocking to admire it.
The two-storey piece on Hornsey Road is best viewed straight on, from behind the fence directly opposite, where the green paint appears to replace the lost foliage of the pollarded tree standing directly in front of it.
“It felt nice to say, ‘We’re popping out to see our local Banksy!’”
Daniel, 60, is a local artist, and couldn’t be happier to have a new Banksy in Islington. “I think it’s really excellent. I live just round the corner, so it’s extra special,” he said. “I haven’t had to hunt it out, I just walked to it! It means a lot.”
Islington Now spoke to Daniel as he made his third sketch of the mural since Sunday. He was beginning to form a clearer impression of Banksy’s message.
“There have been a lot of trees cut down in this area, all taken out by the council. It looks like the same Pantone colour as the council block green”.
Another visitor, Kathleen, had a similar perspective. “How silly of the council for cutting the tree down in that way,” she said. “I think Banksy is an opportunist – he sees something, it suggests something to him, and he goes with it”.
Kathleen was delighted to see another Banksy. “I lived in Bristol for 15 years, so I remember seeing Banksy’s in the 90s, and the council would paint over them,” she added. “I can’t tell you how many times. So now I live in London, of course I was going to come and see this!”
Alex, 25, who lives nearby, took advantage of his lunch break to come and see the mural. “It felt nice to say, ‘We’re popping out to see our local Banksy!’” he said. “I think it’s trying to replace genuine greenery with artificial greenery”.
Alex’s friend Lloyd, 22, agreed. “It makes it look like a tree again, but there is also something distressing about the way it’s bleeding down the wall”. Regarding the girl in the mural, Lloyd speculated that “it looks like a paint dispenser that she is holding, but it could be a pesticide spray as well”.
“I do hope that the council allow it to stay!” Alex added.
