The response to Banksy’s tree highlights an ambiguity at the root of his ‘activism’

By Ben Wiedel-Kaufmann, Lecturer in Art History, The Open University

Within days of Banksy posting on Instagram last month to confirm authorship of a new mural on Hornsey Road, north London, the local authorities stepped in to protect the artwork.

The work consists of a stencilled green and black figure with a pump-action pressure sprayer, staring up at the bright green paint splattered across much of the wall. From a distance the paint aligns behind a pollarded cherry tree, creating the timely impression of spring foliage.

Banksy posted the picture of the mural on his Instagram feed on March 18 and, as has become the pattern, the artist’s…

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