Contemporary art sales at Christie’s and Sotheby’s have fallen 75 percent this year, a staggering, but not surprising drop following seasons of decline. But what of the market for illegal and ill-gotten goods? Read more »

FAILE Sells Off ‘Scuba Horse’ and ‘Bunny Boy’

Brooklyn-based art duo FAILE has several new releases today: a couple bronze sculptures and a print from last year’s London exhibition. On sale now, “Warriors of the Night,” a cops-shooting-Indian-princess print, is available in a varied-edition of 24. More impressive and pricey are cast version’s of FAILE’s two-dimensional street work. Eight new bronze “Scuba Horse” sculptures, standing over a foot tall, are on sale for $12k a head while another edition of the bronze “Bunny Boy” goes for less. Additionally, a couple original pieces from the “Lost in Glimmering Shadows” are available and going fast.

Paper Monster Press released a slew of new works by street artists and their allies: prints, original paintings and a collaborative book of hand made artworks from more than 25 contributors. MOMO unveils a one-off painting on wood, featuring a second collage on the backside for added value. From FAILE comes “Star-Spangled Shadows,” a silk-screened edition of the patriotic painting from the Brooklyn street art duo’s London show last fall. Finally, after four years, comes “Love Sour Love,” a hand-crafted book started by FAILE in 2005 that features original titular-themed artworks by Futura, Judith Supine, Blu, Alex Lukas, Sam3, Borf and Swoon among others. Read more »

After twitters of their signing with Perry Rubenstein this summer, FAILE puts some new work on display for the Chelsea gallery’s 5th anniversary show. The Brooklyn-based street art duo is showing a pile of cubic works alongside a cinder block wall relocated from Mexico by artist Teresa Margolles where it was“riddled with bullet holes from drug-related shootings,” among other works of art. “The Law of Fives” exhibition is on display through October 31st at 527 West 23rd Street.

Photos via Perry Rubenstein Gallery

After somebody cleaned the vandalism off FAILE’s illegal street installation, comes close-up photos of the prayer wheel’s naked wood. Take a good look now because, unless the third time’s the charm, this sculpture will be gone in a matter of days.

Photos by SMKjr

When it comes to vandalism, the NYPD recommends a rapid response. In the department’s brochure, “Combating Graffiti,” they write, “Experience has shown that prompt clean-up is an effective deterrent to the re-occurrence of the graffiti.” Putting this police plan into action, somebody made an attempt at washing the paint splatter and tags off FAILE’s recently reinstalled prayer wheel sculpture, but not without taking the piece’s original color off too.

Photos by Zoltan and disconotdisco

Months after disappearing off the street without a trace, FAILE’s second spinning prayer wheel installation returns to Williamsburg. The sculpture is now bolted down on North 6th Street, blocks away from its original location on Bedford Avenue. It’s not clear what happened to the piece since it was last publicly seen, but it’s already been hit with paint and tags over the last few days. Meanwhile, ifoundfaile, the anonymous street art scavenger who swiped FAILE’s first prayer wheel in Williamsburg, still can’t sell the piece, telling prospective buyers, “Hurry ’sale’ ends soon.”