Banksy Strikes Again— With Huge Museum Show

New York couple makes wanting an art form

(NEWSER) - When Justin Gignac and Christine Santora wanted a pair of gold aviators, they painted a picture of the sunglasses and sold it for $243.84—then went out and bought the pair, for $243.84. The New York artists have amassed other luxuries, like dinner at Nobu, in the same fashion—but have also raised money for charities and Barack Obama, the Independent reports. More»

(NEWSER) - Is Prince William living a secret double life? Probably not. But he drew laughs at a London gallery by “confessing” that he is Banksy, the mysterious and controversial graffiti artist. Banksy’s art can be found throughout the UK and beyond, but the reclusive artist refuses to be photographed and hasn’t confirmed his real name. The BBC has reported his actual identity to be Robert Banks, a 35-year-old from Bristol. More»

Pablo Picasso makes 2 appearances

(NEWSER) - Following the record-breaking sale of Edvard Munch's The Scream , the Guardian takes a look at the other biggest sales of art at auction. The top five:

1. Edvard Munch, The Scream, $119.9 million.
2. Pablo Picasso, Nude, Green Leaves, and Bust, $106.5 million.
3. Alberto Giacometti, L'homme qui Marche I, $105.2 million.
4. Pablo Picasso, Boy With a Pipe, $104.2 million.
5. Gustav Klimt, Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer II, $87.9 million.

British artist's exhibit got much hype, but only because he's famous, say critics

(NEWSER) - “Bad boy of British art" Damien Hirst decided to put his headline-grabbing, conceptual art projects aside and return to painting. Critics, however, are not impressed with the exhibition of 25 new paintings, which opened today:

• “There are many painters in evening classes much worse than Hirst,” writes Tom Lubbock in the Independent. “On the other hand, you'd find quite a few who were better, too. To try to be accurate: Hirst, as a painter, is at about the level of a not-very-promising, first-year art student.”

Materials by Patti Smith, Ramones showcase cultural shift

(NEWSER) - New York’s Museum of Modern Art is showcasing the gritty glamour of the city’s 1970s and early ’80s music scene, where punk, New Wave, DIY, and noise rock ruled, Rolling Stone reports. New Yorkers were feeling alienated—the city was bankrupt in 1975; President Ford told it to “drop dead"—but that helped inspire “completely honest” art, says one rocker. More»