LONDON///MARC QUINN UNVEILS SOLID GOLD KATE MOSS SCULPTURE: MEN EVERYWHERE SUDDENLY APPRECIATE “MODERN ART”

In what is surely the single event that turned even the most aesthetically impaired men of the world into modern art lovers, renowned British sculptor MARC QUINN unveiled his solid gold KATE MOSS sculpture at the BRITISH MUSEUM this weekend as part of the “Statuephilia” show that also included works by DAMIEN HIRST, RON MUECK, NOBLE & WEBSTER, and ANTONY GORMLEY. Titled “Siren,” the piece is made of solid 18K gold and cost nearly $3 million USD to fabricate, with nearly all the cost going to the price of gold. It is the largest solid gold sculpture made since ancient Egypt.

TEXAS///MUSIC///LOST AT THE AUSTIN CITY LIMITS FESTIVAL

Just got back from a very long, lost weekend in Austin at LANCE ARMSTRONG’s epic (and ridiculously underrated) AUSTIN CITY LIMITS FESTIVAL, where 40,000+ revelers gathered for three days of incredible music, beer, and BBQ. With a lineup featuring over 140 bands including ROBERT PLANT & ALISON KRAUSS, BECK, FOO FIGHTERS, THE BLACK KEYS, NERD, THE MARS VOLTA, SHARON JONES & THE DAP KINGS, NEKO CASE, MGMT, HOT CHIP, and CSS, performing on multiple stages, the sun-drenched sonic rendezvous was only enhanced by the unparalleled coolness of the mostly Austinite crowd that still appreciates rock ‘n’ roll on a level rarely seen outside of Europe.

NEWS///STREET LIFE///BANKSY PAINTS NEW ORLEANS AS KATRINA MEMORIAL

One wouldn’t normally expect to find the world’s most Googled street artist lurking among the ruins of the lower ninth ward in NEW ORLEANS, but that’s just where renegade stencil artist BANKSY has been holed up for the past week, covering the desiccated city with art to commemorate the anniversary of KATRINA, the hurricane that killed 1800 people when it struck the coastal city in 2005. Said Banksy of the operation, “Three years after Katrina I wanted to make a statement about the state of the clean-up operation,” and attested that the city’s levee wall offered “the best painting surface in the state of Louisiana.” In the art world, timing is everything, and as the anonymous bomber wraps up his project, the city once again braces for the onslaught of an oncoming tropical storm. Hopefully, once residents realize what’s been painted on their doorstop, a quick sawsall session and a little eBay savvy will net them enough to build a mansion in the French Quarter. HAVE A LOOK:

FEATURE///TODD JAMES (AKA: REAS): THE SUPERTOUCH INTERVIEW

On the eve of the opening of “Blood & Treasure,”TODD JAMES‘ solo exhibition of new war-themed paintings at the starmaking LAZARIDES GALLERY in London this Friday, August 29th, we sat down with the New York-based artist, animator, and new dad for an in-depth discussion on the state of the nation. And a bunch of art stuff too. READ ON:

BEIJING///SUPERTOUCH AT THE OLYMPICS…