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Banksy: Artist confirms new London tree mural is his own work | BBC News

Questions:

1. Why do experts believe that Banksy's mural in Finsbury Park carries an

environmental message?
2. How did locals react to the sudden appearance of the Banksy mural in their
neighborhood?
3. What significance does the color green play in Banksy's mural according to
experts?
4. Why do you think Banksy chose this specific location for his mural in Finsbury
Park?
5. What connection did some people make between Banksy's mural and St.
Patrick's Day?
6. What is the significance of the person holding a herbicide pump sprayer in
Banksy's mural?
7. How does Banksy use color to transform something terrible or awful into
something beautiful in his work?
Phrases from the video:

the elusive street artist

It's not that impressive close up
to stumble across it
attracted international interest
the wall got its makeover
the clarity of the message
a pump sprayer

Correct answers:
1. Experts believe Banksy's mural in Finsbury Park carries an environmental
message due to the clarity of the message and the green color of the leaves.
2. Locals reacted positively to the sudden appearance of the Banksy mural,
with many expressing amazement and excitement.
3. The color green in Banksy's mural is believed to be the same color as
Islington council's signage, emphasizing an environmental message.
4. Banksy likely chose the specific location for his mural in Finsbury Park
because of the dead tree that looked alive against the wall behind it.
5. Some people connected Banksy's mural to St. Patrick's Day because it was
painted in green on that specific day.
6. The person holding a herbicide pump sprayer in Banksy's mural signifies the
idea of transforming something terrible or awful into something beautiful.
7. Banksy uses color to transform something terrible or awful into something
beautiful by throwing color on it, as seen in his graffiti art.

Transcript:

Now, let's tell you a little bit about Banksy. After much speculation, the elusive
street artist has confirmed that this mural, which suddenly appeared on the
side of a building in Finsbury Park in North London, is his latest creation. With
the story, here's Ellie Price.
It's not that impressive close up, but it all makes sense when you see it with the
tree. When Banksy comes to town, so does everyone else. A treat for the locals
who just happen to be passing.

I think it's amazing, honestly. I've always known about Banksy's artwork. I
didn't actually know that there was gonna be one so close to home, so yeah,
really nice to see. I think it's incredible. We were just out on a little morning
walk and just happened to stumble across it, and I think it's wonderful.

I came inside the house, and I started calling the children, wake up, something
is going on out there. Even by this morning, the artwork had already attracted
international interest. They'd heard about it watching telly in the hotel. So we
just took the bus. We were leaving in two hours, but we just came here to see
it.

Locals told us that the wall got its makeover in the early hours of yesterday
morning, and here's another thing they noticed. The green of the leaves is the
same color as Islington Council's signage. Experts reckon Banksy's message is
an obvious environmental one.

This is a particularly big thing because of its scale and because of the clarity of
the message and the fact that it exists in this built environment in a really
clever and smart way. Also pleased it exists here is the local MP, who came to
see it as soon as he heard. Already, it's put us on the map. Finsbury Park has
got a Banksy.

The wall clearly needed repainting anyway, so Banksy's just helping out. Banksy
kept fans waiting for more than a day before claiming this work. Confirmation it
is the real deal will only attract more visitors to Finsbury Park's greenest tree.

Well, it has to be said, if you go onto the BBC's website, there's a lovely story
there by Alex Smith from the online team about the reaction locally to the
Banksy mural. A lot of people coming out of their homes, as you saw there, are
very happy with the sight of a Banksy outside their house.
Well, earlier, I spoke to Banksy expert, Jule Rick Blanchie, who gave me this
assessment on why he thinks Banksy chose this particular place. Like his work,
it's always very site-specific, and he chose that because I suppose he saw this
tree that was cut back, and it looks like a dead tree, and there was a wall
behind it, and now it looks like the tree's alive and it's green, and I think his
work is always very site-specific, and it's also specific to the date, date-specific,
because it's painted in this green, and lots of people connect this to St. Patrick's
Day, the day it was painted.

Yes, of course, I forgot about that, yes. And yeah, and there's usually also a hint
about graffiti in it, so what's in his hand? There's a person behind that. Some
say it's a woman. I don't think it's a woman or a man. You don't know. And he's
holding not a fire extinguisher, although this work was painted with a fire
extinguisher filled with paint, but he's holding like a herbicide, pump sprayer,
so something to kill herbs, to kill weed, and graffiti is for a lot of people like
weed, and it has to be removed like herbs, but you also could do something
very beautiful with it, and that's something that's coming back in Banks' work
again and again.

There's something terrible or something awful, and if you put color on it, if you
throw color on it, then it becomes beautiful, and that's what a graffiti artist
should do in his words.