Animals at risk of extinction - Topiary

A conversation with a local resident inspired this small but powerful piece. She told us that the rich tradition of using a ‘Green Man’ to represent the cyclical changes in nature, dates back to medieval times. We were struck by how fitting his story was for the junction we were working on — just between Verdant Lane and Pasture Road. Before we knew it, we were inventing green folklore figures of our own.

We’d already worked on a piece for Verdant Lane’s mini park a few years back, after being commissioned by Cllr Mark Ingleby. We loved the community space, so were thrilled when local activist and force of nature Roz Hardie secured funding from Lewisham Council to brighten up the boundary wall.

The wall’s low height seemed challenging at first. But then we realised that embracing the hedge would double our canvass — so we began to incorporate the wall’s surroundings into our artwork. While researching similar projects, we came across wonderful topiary sculptures of elephants and other animals, which inspired us to start thinking about the many animals and habitats currently under threat from the climate crisis.

The wall is the perfect height to catch the eye of passing children. We like to think this piece is more like a riddle than a lecture — just enough to get them asking about these animals their threatened place in the natural world.

The Green Man, also known as ‘The Jack in the Green’, is traditionally seen as a protector who is at one with the environment. What could modern humans learn from this Pagan figure? We wanted to explore questions of responsibility and remind people that they are part of a global ecosystem.

Perhaps, we thought, the Green Man can no longer protect the environment alone. Perhaps he needs some new friends — ¨The Green Panda Bear¨, for example. The panda bear figure seemed particularly striking to us, as it is endearing to children and its real-life counterpart is facing extinction.

Made up of shades of lush green, the mural blends into its immediate environment, almost as if it was painted with camouflage. However, the exotic animals depicted are clearly not native to Lewisham. This contrast serves as reminder to passing Londoners that our actions impact animals and environments all of the world — even if we can’t always see the damage.