Will the real “BONSKY” please stand up?…

In an effort to thwart bootlegging and the resale of his illegally placed street installations, national living art treasure, knight of the Queen’s court, and minister of tourism BANKSY (Sir Banksy, to the common man), has just established an official certification board to authenticate his artworks prior to resale. Yes, you read that right. Appropriately named “Pest Control,” the Banksy-appointed committee has declared that all major resellers of his work must consult them first before any secondary market work can be considered truly authentic. A member of Banksy’s camp reports, “The works are made for specific sites, and taking them is tantamount to theft. That is why Banksy has approved this authentication system. He certainly doesn’t want the people who’ve removed them making money out of it.” This move comes after three inauthentic works attributed to Banksy went on sale at Bloomsbury Auctions in London without prior certification. And so turns yet another incredible page in the grand work of performance art that is Banksy’s career…

Even this Basquiat masterpiece couldn’t stand U2’s music anymore…

It’s an accepted truism that the best pieces by the deceased street art/Pop master JEAN–MICHEL BASQUIAT are all in the hands of knowing private collectors at this point where they’re likely to stay for some time to come. That fact alone would normally be enough to make the early ’80s masterpiece painting “Untitled (Pecho/Oreja), 1983” auctioned yesterday at Sotheby’s for a healthy £5,000,000 ($9,962,699 USD) especially noteworthy—if it weren’t coming from the private collection of U2, that is. Originally purchased by the Irish band at a posthumous Basquiat show at Robert Miller Gallery in New York in 1989 (Samo OD’d in 1988) for a mere fraction of its current value, the huge painting hung as a backdrop in their Dublin studio and was present at the recording of their albums beginning with “Achtung Baby” until the band mysteriously decided to part ways with it this month. Believed to be a self-portrait created by the then-22-year-old art star in his basement studio beneath Anina Nosei’s gallery, the piece is a truly incredible painting by the late artist and a find of even rarer quality on the open market these days. Of course, it was picked up by an unnamed private European collector who obviously lives somewhere where money is still worth something. HAVE A LOOK: Read the rest of this entry »

The look of luxe and the smell of $$$… 

Just when we thought our blurry vision was recovering from NIGO’s years-long neon assault on our once beloved design motif it seems his fashion protégée TAKASHI MURAKAMI has gotten in on the act (and a few years late, at that) with his new cammo design for ultra luxury brand LOUIS VUITTON’s line of leather bags and other blue chip accessories. Dubbed “Monogramouflage,” the Japanese Pop Art god’s newest pattern simultaneously references Andy Warhol’s earlier interpretations of the disruptive pattern material and the ubiquity of BAPE’s signature streetwear graphics while incorporating LV’s timeless monogram pattern. First debuted as a series of framed artworks in his traveling art show “© Murakami,” and a limited product range at his Brooklyn Museum installation from June 1st—15th, the full line including luggage, wallets, iPod cases, belts, scarves, handbags, boots, sneakers, and clothing will be made available to the public tomorrow, June 1st, at LV flagship stores and premium outlets worldwide. Never mind the current record oil prices and general global economic freefall, expect queues of dedicated fashionistas and well-heeled hipsters in all timezones come first light. We’ll be sleeping in. After all, Canal Street is forever. HAVE A LOOK: Read the rest of this entry »

Tom Sachs: locked and loaded…

Better known as the “Olympics of the art world,” the mammoth art convention that is the real ART BASEL, as in Basel Switzerland, not Miami, was in full effect last week in the land of money and chocolate. Luckily, our international man of mystery MISTER G was on the spot to take in the debauchery and bring us a glimpse of some of the exhibition’s greatest hits. Also on display at this year’s Basel—now in its 38th year—was NIKE’s aesthetic celebration of the checkered ball in the form of “ART/OF/FOOTBALL,” a user generated content exhibition curated in conjunction with SHOWstudio as part of Basel’s DESIGN/MIAMI fair. HAVE A LOOK: Read the rest of this entry »

“Hi, How Are You”…

We’ve said it loudly before and we’ll say it again, the toy game is dead, but it’s refreshing to see a nice art figure being made from time to time. This month brings us “Jeremiah the Innocent,” a vinyl incarnation of a drawing by legendary outsider artist/musician and 2006 Whitney Biennial participant DANIEL JOHNSTON. Created by AT ARMS TOYS, the 12” figure representing Kurt Cobain’s favorite DJ image (see below) is available in three colorways: white (edition of 350), green (edition of 250), and orange (edition of 250). All figures are individually numbered, stand 12 inches tall, and are housed in a collectors case. Order yours HERE, and learn more about Daniel Johnston HERE. HAVE A LOOK: Read the rest of this entry »

The must-have art cycle…

Cycling fanatics are no doubt counting the days until the opening of RVCA’s collaborative art show with renowned Italian cycle company CINELLI and an impressive lineup of modern artists including Barry McGee, Ashley Macomber, Clare Rojas, C.R. Stecyk III, Dan Murphy, DMOTE, Jesse Geller, Josh Lazcano, KAWS, Madsaki, Phil Frost, PM Tenore and Stephen Powers on Thursday, June 19th at RVCA’s flagship store in San Francisco and now we’ve got a look at the full run of BARRY McGEE’s special production art bike to be sold at the event. Available as an edition of 50 pieces worldwide in three frame sizes (54, 56 or 58), the cycle will be available as 25 complete bikes and 25 frame-only kits with pricetags of $3,700.00 and $2,100.00 respectively. The run will be available for sale only through RVCA and LANCE ARMSTRONG’s Mellow Johnny’s bike shop in Austin, Texas where the art show will make a stop in late September. Stay tuned for more details to come. HAVE A LOOK: Read the rest of this entry »

By air…

…and by sea.

Thanx MP.

If only the Decapitator could work his magic on the rest of Hollywood… 

Seems like London’s resident mad doctor of street art THE DECAPITATOR feels the same way about Sarah Jessica Parker’s horse face and the impending Sex & The City movie as the rest of us do…

Sarah J’s never looked better…