New Banksy mural defaced only days after appearing in London
The latest mural by Banksy, found on the side of a residential building in Finsbury Park, has been defaced only days after it first appeared.
The latest work popped up over the weekend, featuring green colours and one of the mysterious artist’s typical stencils. The mural’s focal point is the real pruned tree in front of it, with the painting behind it on the side of the building appearing as foliage. The stencil is on the bottom left of a person looking up, holding a sprayer.
Banksy confirmed that the painting was his by uploading before and after photographs of the small Finsbury Park location to his official Instagram. The immediate community, from Islington North MP Jeremy Corbyn to residents and even the man who owned the building on which the mural is painted, all shared their wonder and pride at a Banksy work appearing in their locale.
Now, however, the artwork has been defaced. Local resident Matt McKenna told the BBC that on the morning of March 20th, he saw white paint splashed over the wall.
As it stands, Islington Council has yet to comment on the matter, but since the mural appeared, a tall metal facing has been installed around both the tree and wall. This sad ruin also comes after the Council maintained that its graffiti team would not remove the artwork.
McKenna was out walking his dog when he saw the damage. “It is a real shame. It happened overnight,” he told the publication. “When it appeared on Sunday my partner saw it and said she quite liked it before everyone was talking about it.”
This is not the first time that a new Banksy artwork has been potentially targeted. In late December 2023, a new piece was stolen less than an hour after he confirmed it was his doing on Instagram. Found at the intersection of Southampton Way and Commercial Way in Peckham, south London, it was a traffic stop sign featuring three military drones. However, it was stolen in broad daylight, with two men spotted taking it down by onlookers.
Regarding this piece of art, it will probably never be known why it was taken, but some have suggested that the subject matter might be why. It seemed to be referencing the ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis in Gaza, as the artist has frequently supported its residents over the years and even worked on murals there.
