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Artist Dash Snow Dies, Heroin

Filed under: Art

New York artist and gallery darling Dash Snow died Tuesday at the age of 27: heroin was the culprit. The hot artist's work lives on at the Saatchi Gallery in London, where his project "Abstract America: New Painting and Sculpture" is on display. His work has also been shown in Gagosian Gallery, Deitch Projects and is held in permanent collections at the Whitney and Brooklyn Museum.

Snow has worked in graffiti, photography and even his own semen. Though he has famous roots (Uma Thurman's his aunt), Snow preferred a gritty life on the Lower East Side involving theft, jail time and the narcotic that caused his demise. The world has lost a creative force – but one that was destructive at the same time.

Belvedere's New IX Vodka, Inspired by the Night

Filed under: Spirits

Belvedere is introducing a new super-premium vodka made with nine special ingredients created to "embody the spirit of the night." Belvedere IX (right), which comes in glam-punk style black and pink graffiti-tagged bottle, will initially be available only in select nightclubs.

IX's nine key ingredients are ginseng, guarana, acai, ginger, sweet almond, jasmine, eucalyptus, cinnamon, and black cherry, "blended seamlessly to create a warm and enlivening note on the nose." The ingredients are individually distilled in micro-batches before being expertly blended with 100 proof Belvedere Vodka and artesian water.

IX is described as "bold and intricate with uplifting sweet spice followed by invigorating ginger warmth," and "smooth yet intense, with menthol complexity tempered by sweet almond and jasmine undercurrents," finishing with "a characteristic Belvedere flourish of vanilla and white pepper."

The bottle's distinctive design is the result of a collaboration with artist and fashion designer Andre Saraiva. It's inspired by Saraiva's iconic graffiti seen on the streets of Paris since the late 1980s. Described by Sam Keller, director of Art Basel Miami Beach, as a "social alchemist," Saraiva also co-owns Paris' Le Baron nightclub.

Banksy Works Fail to Sell at Auction

Filed under: Auctions, Art

Banksy, the British graffiti artist who remains semi-anonymous, had five of his works at a Lyon and Turnbull auction in London over the weekend. None of them sold.

Part of the problem stemmed from Banksy's refusal to claim the work as his own. Banksy has a history of stating that street art should remain in its places of origin, and this group of pieces had been moved. In the past the controversial artist's work has earned double the expected auction price.

[via The New York Times]

Angelina Buys Banksy Art in LA

Filed under: Celebrity Shopping

At guerilla artist Banksy's Los Angeles show this week, Angelina Jolie spent nearly $400,000 on three pieces. One painting, called Picnic, shows a "white family of four lunching under an umbrella while 15 starving Africans look on," and another is a portrait of a man who was hit in the head with a pie. The last item was a "bullet-ridden bust." Picnic alone cost $226,000, while the other two pieces sold for $75,000 each.

You can see a photo of Picnic on Flickr, as well as more photos from the exhibition.

Christina Aguilera Buys A Banksy

Filed under: Decor, Celebrity Shopping

The pop artist Christina Aguilera has just dropped £25,000 - that's about $43,500 - on a painting by the British graffiti artist Banksy.  The painting shows the late Queen Victoria, who passed anti-homosexual laws and "famously believed women were incapable of being gay", depicted as a lesbian. Victoria, clad in stockings and garter belt, is painted in a compromising position with another woman. Aguilera plans to display the controversial painting in her home.

The painting is after the jump and is possibly not safe for work.

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