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Banksy, "Untitled" ("Laugh Now ..."), Sold for $210,000
This afternoon, Bonhams NY held their "Contemporary Art" auction which featured an array of work, including some prints and originals from Banksy, Nick Walker, and Faile. Despite his recent rash of spray painted publicity around the city, Walker's pieces did not skyrocket like fellow Bristol native Banksy, with his unofficially titled "Laugh Now" original (pictured above) fetching $210,00—although in all fairness, Walker's "Moona Lisa" and "The Morning After" prints beat out both of the art prankster's prints. See the full results below and an exclusive video of a Banksy feeding-frenzy for "Laugh Now" in action:
The arrow marks the spot: MARTY catching a tag over Obama. Photo: Razor Apple
The battle for public space between graffiti writers and street artists continues. Semi-notorious bomber, MARTY, decided that he wasn't going to let one of those now iconic, Shepard Fairey designed Obama posters obscure his long time spots for fill-ins. Taking cues from the street artist, he too struck at the optimal time: in the middle of day. He brazenly painted right over the presidential hopeful and the clever vandal even incorporated orange into his throw up—whether as tribute or as a camouflage to blend in next to the recently painted day-glow Keith Haring mural—our bet being on the latter. The high trafficked Houston Ave and Bowery spot, is a hotbed of activity and has a dedicated history of people going over each other, only this time, someone actually documented it. And not only did this photog get MARTY in action through four lanes of traffic, but also the three Obama supporting samaritans. They were not dispatched by Fairey, but voluntarily scrubbed, fixed, and the retouched the piece, restoring Obama the best they could. Head over to Razor Apple for the whole gallery of images and a quote from Shepard. |RazorApple|
May 13, 2008
Since the NYPD is basically given carte blanche every time they kill unarmed black people, the Rev. Al Sharpton is lobbying for the Federal government to withhold monies until the boys in blue can prove there not a modern age version of the KKK, "You gotta hit them in the pocket and let them know we mean business," Sharpton said during a community forum in lower Manhattan. "Cut the money off, and they'll take you seriously." |NYDN|
May 13, 2008
Glen Bolofsky is a "one-man parking-ticket nemesis" who figured out a new way to battle the dreadful orange envelopes often left under driver's windshield wipers for parking violations: he started a website. Next time you get a ticket, log on to parkingticket.com, enter in your information, and let the computer find dismissal leading discrepancies.|NYP|
May 13, 2008
Never shy about taking advantage of absolutely anything and anyone in the name of animals, PETA quickly and gleefully placed this anti-meat ad in the San Diego State student newspaper, The Daily Aztec, hot on the heels of the big campus frat house drug ring bust last week. The speed with which this publicity grab was created and placed is impressive, even if the ad reads and looks like it was made by a sixth grader. Now, I love PETA's work against unnecessary testing and cruel treatment. But I also love me some pot and roast. And these seething militant vegheads who'd seriously rather eat cadaver flesh than an egg need to get together, smoke some high quality weed, rent The Adventures Of Buckaroo Banzai Across The Eighth Dimension, and pig out on Reece's Pieces and Meatball subs.
(Click image to enlarge)
-Copyranter
May 13, 2008
The one penny increase on all first class stamps ain't the problem with the United States Postal Service, it's the ridiculously long lines in the city's post offices. Although there are many slow moving ones across the city, the Metropolitan Post Office at 47 Debevoise Street (between Humboldt and Graham) is one of the worst. Located on what basically amounts to the Williamsburg-Bushwick border, the shoddy facility houses automated stamp machines that are often busted, tables with no supplies, and computers that malfunction often. That, coupled with thoroughly lethargic postal workers, makes for one of the worst mail related experiences ever.
Millions of viewers watching the season finale of Medium on NBC last night got quite an earful from veteran anchor Sue Simmons. During a promo for the 11 O'clock News she is heard off camera, shouting, "What the fuck are you doing?" while teaser footage was rolling for an upcoming story about the rising costs of food. Although Simmons wasn't exactly caught red handed on video like Arthur Chi'en—who was promptly fired from CBS for letting a f-bomb fly—her voice was very audible and with today's hyper sensitive environment, not to mention the FCC fines, her career is so over. But you stay classy New York!
Update: She apologized on air at 11:06 p.m., "While we were live just after 10 p.m., I said a word that many people find offensive. I am truly sorry. It was a mistake on my part and I sincerely apologize." Video: |CarlBrain|May 13, 2008
This past weekend there was lots of fixed gears, weirdos, and vegan food at the Fourth Annual Bicycle Fetish Day. |RazorApple|
Whew! Everything is still cool with Jay-Z's 40/40 in Vegas. |LVRJ via Nahright|
The last symbol of a long bygone East Village is wished farewell. |Gothamist|
Park Slope strollers are no longer just clogging up sidewalks, but now bike shops too. |NYP|
Road rage incident "takes out 50-strong cycle pack" in Australia. |SMH|
May 12, 2008
After hitting up Thunder Jackson in the West Village and pretending to be Banksy, Nick Walker has moved on to Williamsburg, creating this radio controlled, "Vandal" spitting-giraffe. With his work featured in tomorrow's auction at Bonham's NY, the artist is hard at working trying to drum up some added hype by hitting as many legal walls as possible. Considering how well he did in that last auction, it should be interesting to see if his recent flurry of street activity helps up the prices on the few pieces he has. Despite the small selection of work this is a hugely important auction for the 39-year-old stencil artist from Bristol. He's got London and LA geeked, now all he needs to do is lock down NY, which might be tough considering the city's alleged lack of excitement or rather, paying big money for street art. |WilliamsburgIsDead|
May 12, 2008
About two weeks ago Portland's version of the Village Voice, the Willamette Weekly, formally endorsed Barack Obama and accompanied it with this illustration of a water wading, heavenly lit, rose spreading version of the presidential hopeful. Although there's no obvious parting of the Red Sea or walking on water, does he not look like some sort of new age, West Coast version of Jesus? |WWeek via Slog|
Image: Lucas Ketner (Click image to enlarge)
May 12, 2008