A new graffiti mural by famed faceless artist Banksy painted on the side of a residential building along Hornsey Road in North London has recently been authenticated with a post in the artist's official Instagram account.
Providing Aesthetic Prosthesis the Banksy Way
The wall art, located at the community's Finsbury Park, is mainly comprised of messily applied green paint, which when viewed in front of the nearby tree provides some much-needed foliage and greenery for the harshly trimmed tall plant.
On the lower left area of the wall, there's a stenciled life-size depiction of a long-haired individual holding what looks like a spray can, which makes it seem like it was them who sprayed on the synthetic facsimile of leaves.
The authentication process that involves social media posts is typical for Banksy, as new artworks that are confirmed to be his appear promptly on the artist's page.
In the actual post of the new piece, both a before and after picture were included, as well as a close-up of the painting that showed the extent of the faux foliage part's "messiness." As of writing, the post has only been up for about a day but it has already garnered over 1.3 million likes.
On the streets, similar acclaim is represented through flocking locals, all of whom are either directly ogling at the art in awe or taking photos themselves.
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Banksy's 'Gift' to North London Locals
One local, named Wanja Sellers, told BBC that the new piece "feels like a personal message to [the] residents" and that because of it they feel "so proud."
Creator of the recent BBC Radio 4 show "The Banksy Story," James Peak, also told the publication that despite the depicted foliage giving an illusion of life on behalf of the tree, the green hue itself still projects an air of inauthenticity as it resembles the color used for local signs.
"When you step back it looks like the tree is bursting to life, but in a noticeably fake and synthetic way," he said.
Local politician Flora Williamson also released a statement to the BBC, saying that it is "incredible" that the community now has a Banksy artwork in the thick of "social housing" and "one of the poorest parts of the borough."
She continued by saying the addition of this new mural provides more "intrigue and culture" to the area, and thus, more "life."
