A mural created by Banksy less than a week ago was defaced in London
A mural painted last weekend by street artist Banksy on a north London apartment building was defaced with white paint
A new mural by artist Banksy, which imitates the leaves of a nearby live tree, appeared on the wall of a residential building in London last weekend. But on Wednesday, March 20, the work of art was damaged: it was sprayed with white paint.
Islington Borough Council said it was installing CCTV cameras and looking for other ways to protect the work. The press service noted that they are keen for the mural to remain.
"This is a really powerful piece of work that highlights the vital role that trees play in our communities and in addressing climate emergencies. It's sad to see this piece defaced," the press service added.
As soon as the mural appeared, Islington Council took steps to protect Banksy's work. In particular, a fence was installed, and the area was patrolled by police officers.
On Monday, March 18, Banksy confirmed that the graffiti was his work.
In the BBC podcast The Banksy Story, street artist Joe Epstein of LDN Graffiti explained that graffiti artists often have "turf wars" where they deface each other's work.
Recently, two art collectors, Nicky Katz and Ray Gose, filed a lawsuit against Pest Control, a company owned by British incognito artist Banksy, for refusing to confirm the authenticity of the Monkey Queen graffiti. This lawsuit may force Banksy to reveal his identity. Among those suspected of being the author of Banksy's work are Massive Attack's Robert Del Naja, Gorillaz's Jamie Hewlett and Neil Buchanan, former host of the TV show Art Attack.
In 2008, the Daily Mail "outed" him as Robin Gunningham, although the artist denied it. No one could connect Gunningham and Banksy. In late November 2023, a BBC reporter found an excerpt from a 2003 interview in which Banksy reveals his name. On the recording, Banksy is asked if his real name is "Robert Banks", to which he replies: "Robbie".
