Greenwashed Tree
Location: Finsbury Park, London
Date: 18 March 2024
In Finsbury Park, London, a new 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 figure holding a sprayer, standing beneath a swath of vibrant paint.
Characteristic of Banksy’s work, 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”, that is 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.
Trees for Cities | Trees for Cities
Banksy’s new statement piece is splashed across a residential building in Finsbury Park in north London, and features a person holding a paint sprayer, having just sprayed green paint to mimic the greenery of a tree. In front of the wall stands an old cherry tree, which has been freshly pollarded. Pollarding is used to manage urban trees because they are often found in confined spaces. It also helps reduce root growth, as that can have a negative impact on surrounding buildings if left unmanaged. Winter and spring are the best times to carry out pollarding, as the tree is dormant and so reduces risk of damage.
The need for green
Banksy could also be highlighting the need for more greenery in our concrete jungles. Trees transform our towns and cities, and not just visually. Trees pump out fresh oxygen, help keep temperatures cool on hot days, and aid in directing pollutants away from pedestrians, amongst a raft of other benefits. But they also have a positive effect on our mental health. Studies show that time spent amongst trees decreases levels of the stress hormone cortisol, and even having a view of trees outside your window has been shown to be beneficial for your mental wellbeing.
