A north London residential building’s painting created by street artist Banksy has been vandalised.
Over the weekend, the artwork surfaced, depicting large areas of green paint behind a nearby tree to resemble leaves.
However, by Wednesday morning, white paint had gone all over the artwork, which was enclosed by a sturdy metal fence.
Islington Council announced that it was putting up CCTV cameras and considering additional security measures.
A spokesperson said the authority welcomed the piece, adding: “We very much want it to stay.”
They added: “This is a really powerful piece, which highlights the vital role that trees play in our communities and in tackling the climate emergency. It’s sad to see the piece has been defaced.”
When it first appeared, “we moved quickly to put in place temporary measures to protect it and manage the crowds, such as installing fencing and having visits from park patrol officers” .
With the homeowner, the council was talking about “future solutions” “to enable everyone to enjoy the artwork”.
Following suspicion, Banksy claimed ownership of the artwork on Monday, the day it first appeared on a building on Hornsey Road in Finsbury Park.
Many visitors travelled to view the artwork, however Matt McKenna, 35, a local, told BBC London that on Wednesday morning, while out on a stroll with his dog, he noticed the white paint covering the mural.
“It is a real shame. It happened overnight,” he said. “When it appeared on Sunday my partner saw it and said she quite liked it before everyone was talking about it.
“It has got lots of people talking and it is a bit of London which is a bit forgotten at times.”
Like many of Banksy’s pieces, this one sparked discussion and a variety of responses, including those from environmentalists who claim the tree was overly pollarded or chopped back.
The cherry tree that Banksy selected was 40–50 years old, in poor health, with rot and fungal damage, according to the local government.
The tree should re-bud throughout its crown, according to the council, which has stated that it will keep trying to keep it alive.
The head of the company hired by the council to reshape the tree claimed that his team had employed pollarding, a “ancient form of pruning” in which the tree’s upper branches were cut off.
BBC
