Banksky has confirmed another painting around March 18th, the first one since December.
This time, it highlights a woman with a pesticide spray (I assume) and an old cherry tree with green paint around it to appear like artificial leaves. Unfortunately, this mural has already been defaced by graffiti- however, that doesn't take away from the mural's message.
I interpreted it as a satirical artwork to the lack of care in our environment- how people are quick to destroy it instead of treasuring it. Although at far it looks like a tree with green leaves, upon closer inspection both the tree and the background of green paint (that means to impersonate leaves) look dreary, old, and washed out. Upon further research, I discovered the history behind this oddly cut cherry tree: it was old and rotten, and park officials had decided to cut the branches as a way to allow the tree to regrow.
I interpret the woman holding the pressure hose/pesticide spray (there has been debate circulating online for what it truly is) as one who eventually sees the consequences that her lack of care for the environment has brought upon her. She looks at the dreary peeling walls and dripping paint/leaves in the realization of what her years of harm have done to the tree.
My take is that Banksy is displaying a parallel between what is going on now to what will happen in the future, once we've realized how much we've truly destroyed the environment.
I've always been an environmental activist, and I'm happy that Banksy creates a compelling artwork foreshadowing the prospects of carbon pollution and environmental habitat destruction. I feel supported in my efforts, and I'm considering using this piece as an inspiration for perhaps maybe one of my next sustained investigation pieces!