News: Chile, Gavin Newsom, Connecticut, Marcia Brady, Sharks

Majority in Connecticut support same-sex marriage ruling: "Fifty-three percent of Connecticut residents support Friday's historic ruling by the state Supreme Court that legalizes gay marriage, while 42 percent of residents polled said they do not."

ONE Archives to open first museum dedicated to LGBT history in West Hollywood: "The museum -- really a micro-museum at 600 square feet -- has set a macro goal for itself: to bring little-known aspects of gay history out of the library closet and into the public sphere. The museum is an offshoot of the ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives, which is affiliated with USC. The old magazine covers dedicated to gay marriage come from ONE magazine, the first gay publication in the country."

Marcia Brady's tell-all confession: I was addicted to coke and quaaludes, had sex for drugs, dated Michael Jackson, had two abortions, bulimia, and almost lost my virginity to Greg Brady.

Karl Lagerfeld just bought a six-bedroom, 1840 landmark house on an island on Lake Champlain, Vermont.

Bush supporter Dennis Hopper: I pray Obama wins.

MEAT: Gerard Butler opens BBQ in Hollywood.

Damien Hirst tops list of powerful people in the art world: "Hirst is also a good example of how contemporary art reflects modern life. Like our shopping centres, our art world is dominated by superbrands: Hirst in Europe, Jeff Koons in America and the Japanese artist Takashi Murakami (whose recent American retrospective included a Louis Vuitton boutique selling Murakami-designed fashionwear)." [LIST]

Shark blood offers hope for cancer.

Kenya's elephants now text message conservationists before raiding villages: "Kenya is the first country to try elephant texting as a way to protect both a growing human population and the wild animals that now have less room to roam. Elephants are ranked as 'near threatened' in the Red List, an index of vulnerable species published by the International Union for Conservation of Nature."

Australia debates the merits of mantyhose.

SF Mayor Gavin Newsom has become the single-best tool for same-sex marriage ban backers: "His pictures have become the rallying cry for Prop. 8. It's unfortunate for him, and it's unfortunate for the anti-Prop. 8 campaign. I don't know that I would change his behavior, because he's representing his constituency, and he's been totally consistent in his position. But he's become everyone's worst nightmare."

L.A.: Stars come out to Skybar to defeat Prop 8. "Chad Allen, Eric McCormack, Dana Delaney, Marissa Jaret Winokur, Thomas Roberts, Katherine Joosten, Loni Anderson, Heather Tom, and Eduardo Xol who were among the celebrities there to raise money for 'No on 8 - Equality California.'"

TOUR: Britney Spears will take her show on the road this spring.

Chilean gay rights group steps up against Catholic bishop and Evangelicals: "MOVILH strongly criticized Bishop Juan Ignacio González Errázuriz, whose San Bernardo Diocese is located just south of Santiago, for writing a public letter urging Chileans not to vote in this month's city elections for candidates who support granting certain rights to gay and lesbian couples...MOVILH also is up in arms about a Saturday conference held by the Isacar Movement, a network of Evangelical professionals. Isacar called the conference to address the so-called Anti-Discrimination Law currently under consideration in Chile's congress."

The least attractive photo of The O.C.'s Benjamin McKenzie you'll likely ever see.

SPOILER: Meet Mad Men's new gay character.

Producing duo acquire rights to French-Canadian comedy Taxi 0-22: "The two will be shopping an American version of the series, which centers on Rogatien Dubois, an outspoken and politically incorrect taxi driver. A modern-day Archie Bunker type, Dubois wrestles with his many prejudices and the fact that his 20-year-old son is gay."

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News: Bolthouse Farms, Diamond, Emmys, Transgender Win

Transgender woman wins groundbreaking sex discrimination suit brought by ACLU: "A federal district court judge in Washington, D.C., ruled today that the Library of Congress discriminated against Diane Schroer when it offered her a job and then rescinded it after learning she was transgendered...Other courts that have considered the issue have said Congress only intended for the anti-discrimination statute to protect men and women, but not people who change their sex, the ACLU said."

Record-breaking white diamond found in Lesotho.

Till Death: Portia de Rossi to become Portia DeGeneres.

India high court sets deadline to hear arguments from government on decriminalization of homosexuality: "That the government appears to be running out of time to take a final stand on this issue also became clear on Friday when HC made it clear that it would go ahead with its verdict without reference to the stand of the Union Cabinet if it continues to sit on the issue later than the date fixed by the HC."

A complete list of last night's Emmy Award winners...

Christina Aguilera opts for futuristic astronaut vibe on new album.

Anti-gay attack at Belgrade Gay Fest: "A group of 20 or so youths, wearing surgical masks and hooded tops attacked festival participants on September 19, seriously injuring one U.S. national, who suffered a broken arm and concussion, while several participants from Serbia also received minor injuries. The police, it is added, reacted quickly, one attacker was arrested, and a number of others taken in for questioning."

Californians Against Hate holds protest against Bolthouse Farms outside Ralph's supermarket in L.A.: "...because of a $100,000 contribution by William Bolthouse, Jr. to the Protect Marriage – Yes on Proposition 8 Campaign. William Bolthouse’s huge financial support was one of the main reasons that this constitutional initiative qualified for the November 4th ballot. His money helped enable Protect Marriage to hire hundreds of paid professional petition circulators to collect the signatures necessary to qualify this initiative for the November ballot. If passed on November 4th, Proposition 8 would eliminate same-sex marriage in California."

Producer David Zucker on his new right-wing comedy An American Carol and being Republican in Hollywood: "Most political comedies say both sides are bad. We're saying, 'F— it.' We're taking a side...{in Hollywood] you sort of feel like you have to hide [your conservatism]. When you meet, you give each other a secret look — 'Are you a Republican, too?' It's the new gay."

Joan Rivers addresses leather crowd at Folsom Street Fair benefit gala.

Damien Hirst paid $200 for the shark he sold last week in formaldehyde for $21 million.

Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka hit the Emmy red carpet.

Goldmine: Beckhams net $202 million on perfume line.

Sarah Palin draws crowd of 60,000 25,000 in Florida, far exceeding the number of people Bush attracted four years ago.

Vancouver-area high school pulls course with gay content: "The elective course, which deals with issues ranging from homophobia to animal rights, has caused controversy amongst religious groups that worry it's too malleable to the individual beliefs of teachers."

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News: Ant, Ellen DeGeneres, Golden Calf, Prop. 8, Jamaica

Barclays to purchase portions of Lehman Brothers.

U.S. Circuit Court: Gay man from Jamaica eligible for asylum due to persecution of gays in that country.

Damien Hirst's "The Golden Calf" sells for £10,345,250: "This was the first time a modern-day artist has offered a new exhibition of work directly for sale at auction, which effectively breaks the link between artist and gallery. But it has already provoked fears that the market will be dominated now by money rather than art, and by auction rooms and 'celebrity artists' rather than galleries. All the signs last night were that the fears were well founded. One of Hirst's celebrated shark-in-a-tank works, entitled The Kingdom, sold to a telephone bidder for £9.56million, more than double the estimate of £4million." Records smashed...

Easy, breezy, beautiful: Ellen DeGeneres is the newest Cover Girl.

Wilde: Dorian Gray shooting in central London...

Prop 8: Interactive map tracks donation for and against.

Donations in support of California gay marriage ban pouring in from Mormons: "Church members, mostly from California, have made individual donations close to $5 million in support of Proposition 8, counting only donations of more than $1,000, according to one Web site...In June, California church authorities read a statement from Salt Lake City leaders over the pulpit that church members 'do all [they] can to support the proposed constitutional amendment.' That has resulted in a mass of donations, said Nadine Hansen, who runs the Web site MormonsFor8.com."

Phyllis Lyon gives first interview following the death of her longtime partner Del Martin: "I’ve gotten cards from people we knew, and then some from people we didn’t know from anywhere. This response just goes to show that there were a whole lot of people who knew about her even if they didn’t know her.

GQ throws a bone to the straight men with lesbian fantasies. Cover girl Megan Fox: "Look, I’m not a lesbian. I just think that all humans are born with the ability to be attracted to both sexes. I mean, I could see myself in a relationship with a girl - Olivia Wilde is so sexy she makes me want to strangle a mountain ox with my bare hands. She’s mesmerizing. And lately I’ve been obsessed with Jenna Jameson, but … oh boy."

Scientists discover ancient ant in Amazon rainforest: "It represents an old lineage of ants that appeared very early in ant evolution. This shows that tropical soils are widely unexplored and may not only harbour many undiscovered species, but among them also relict species that keep traits from early evolutionary times."

Brighton is top UK city for civil partnerships: "A total of 1,184 ceremonies were held in the city between December 2005 and September this year."

Sarah Palin stonewalling in "troopergate" investigation: "Spokesman Ed O'Callaghan initially said Palin, the Republican nominee for vice president, would not testify as part of the probe 'as long as it remains tainted.' He later clarified his statement to say Palin is 'unlikely to cooperate' with the inquiry."

L.A.'s Outfest to honor Milk, American Beauty producer Bruce Cohen.

Bob Costas talks gays in sports...

Census of same-sex couples in Germany doubles in a decade.

Hotel in Ireland ordered to pay gay couple €3,000 after being found guilty of discrimination: "The case arose after a 'gay-friendly' social was organised by Peter McGuffin and Enda Harte at the hotel for June 5th, 2005, a bank holiday Sunday. The men had previously organised similar events in the Victoria Hotel in Galway, a sister hotel of the Eyre Square Hotel and owned by the same proprietor. They complained that the manager of the Eyre Square Hotel told them 'out of the blue' on June 3rd, 2005, that the hotel owner had said the social could not proceed. The manager said the owner was very angry such an event was being held in his establishment, they claimed."

MTV's TRL signing off...

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Damien Hirst Cuts Out the Middleman

The Times Online wonders if the upcoming Damien Hirst auction heralds the death of the gallery:

"To understand what Hirst is doing by putting 223 new works up for auction at Sotheby’s, I suggest you go along to one of the presale viewings - daily until September 15, admission free - and search out his latest shark piece, The Kingdom. It’s a huge black case featuring an 8ft tiger shark suspended, as always, in formaldehyde...Once you have found the shark, imagine that it represents Sotheby’s. No, go further than that. Imagine that it represents the entire art world and the manner in which it pursues its business. See how predatory it is, how cunning, how fixated on its prey, how implacable and ruthless."

Previously
Damien Hirst Unveils New Formaldehyde Menagerie [tr]
George Michael and Kenny Goss Show Off Preserved Carcasses [tr]
Damien Hirst Skull Fetches Asking Price of $100 Million [tr]

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Damien Hirst Unveils New Formaldehyde Menagerie

Damien Hirst is holding an auction in September of more than 200 new pieces at Sotheby's:

"The auction is predicted to raise £65m, comfortably setting a new world record for the artist, and blazing a trail which other artists will watch with interest, of bypassing the gallery and dealer system and going straight to auction."

The auction will feature many of his trademark natural works in formaldehyde, including The Dream (above) a white foal with a long slender horn, in white framed tank, The Kingdom (below) a tiger shark in a black framed tank...

"The top lot, estimated at up to £12m, is The Golden Calf - a title continuing Hirst's interest in religious themes, referring to the false idol set up and worshipped by the Israelites before an enraged Moses berated them for idolatory. The piece is a tank made of glass and gold-plated steel, holding a real calf with solid 18 carat hoofs, horns and golden disc on its head."

Two more shots AFTER THE JUMP...

The Immaculate Heart - Lost, a bull's heart split by a dagger, and The Incredible Journey, a zebra in a white framed tank.

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George Michael and Kenny Goss Show Off Preserved Carcasses [tr]
Damien Hirst Skull Fetches Asking Price of $100 Million [tr]
Damien Hirst, The Bedazzler Revealed [tr]
George Michael's Wallet Feels "Exquisite Pain" with Hirst Purchase [tr]

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George Michael and Kenny Goss Show Off Preserved Carcasses

While George Michael waits for Banksy to tag his English mansion, his partner Kenny Goss holds up the Texas end of the art fortune.

"Most people initially freak a little bit about Sebastian, then they stare and stare at it and they say, 'That's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen," said Kenny Goss about Damien Hirst's "Saint Sebastian, Exquisite Pain" (above) which Goss and his partner George Michael purchased last summer and which is now on display in Dallas at a Hirst-curated show at the couple's gallery.

Goss and Michael are also giving back to the community: "The foundation will be awarding two $5,000 scholarships to students at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, one in Michael's name for music and one in Goss' name for art. There are also two more $5,000 scholarships offered, one for Dallas-Fort Worth area students, the other for students statewide."

Said Goss: "We want to expose the Dallas art community to work that they've quite potentially never seen if they weren't able to travel, these works that in some ways may be a little controversial for one thing, a little strong. But let's face it, art a lot of times is about sex, love, death, loss."

George Michael Brings His Art Collection to Texas [fox news]

Previously
George Michael's Wallet Feels "Exquisite Pain" with Hirst Purchase [tr]

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80's Metal Band Skull Shouts at the Devil

BoingBoing yesterday showed off this genius skull made of melted 80's metal band tapes by Brian Dettmer, which I find has more depth as a piece of "art" than Damien Hirst's $100 million extravagance, "For the Love of God". Although it is perhaps a bit incorrect to disregard Hirst's piece simply for its excess, as that's partly what it's about.

I do love that Motley Crue's "Shout at the Devil" is the basis for the tape skull's jaws.

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Damien Hirst Skull Fetches Asking Price of $100 Million

Damien Hirst's diamond-encrusted skull entitled "For the Love of God" has sold to an investment group for its full asking price of $100 million, it has been revealed. No additional details about the buyer were disclosed.

The platinum skull, which is covered with 8,601 diamonds weighing 1,106.18 carats, cost $20 million to make according to the artist. It was cast from a 35-year-old 18th century European man and contains its original teeth.

Said a spokeswoman for the artist: "Damien Hirst has retained a participation in the work -- he still owns a share of it -- in order that he can oversee a global tour of the work that is currently being planned." Hirst's manager said that he anticipated the sale would close within three to four weeks.

A pictorial on the making of the skull was published in July.

Background
Damien Hirst, The Bedazzler Revealed [tr]
$100 Million Damien Hirst Diamond-Encrusted Skull Unveiled [tr]

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Damien Hirst, The Bedazzler Revealed

Jockohomo points us to this interesting post over at Supertouch, which details the construction of Damien Hirst's most recent extravagance, "For the Love of God".

The 18th century skull of a mid-30-year-old man had its teeth removed and cleaned for re-insertion as its mandibles and 32 individual plates were re-cast in platinum awaiting the "massive 52.40 carat flawless light fancy pink, brilliant-cut, pear-shaped diamond" that is the work's finishing touch.

If you watch closely, you will realize you can do this on the cheap with some silver paint, a trip to your local Halloween shop, and a quick dial-in for the Bedazzler.

Hirst's $100 million skull (which cost the artist $20 million to make) apparently still awaits a buyer.

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Shark Week at the New York Metropolitan Museum in August [tr]

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George Michael's Wallet Feels "Exquisite Pain" with Hirst Purchase

George Michael, who is said to have his eye on Damien Hirst's diamond-encrusted skull, has gone ahead and opened his wallet for something a bit darker, a work by the artist entitled "Saint Sebastian, Exquisite Pain":

"The installation features the body of a black calf pierced by dozens of arrows and attached with cable to a steel post, set in a tank of formaldehyde. The artwork is based on the story of the martyr Saint Sebastian, whose biblical story inspired the 1976 homo-erotic film 'Sebastiane.'

At $7 million, it's reportedly Hirst's fourth most expensive creation.

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Shark Week at the New York Metropolitan Museum in August [tr]
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Shark Week at the New York Metropolitan Museum in August

Damien Hirst's formaldehyde shark work, "The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living", will be on loan to the Met and is going on display by the end of August:

"Hirst's shark -- as it is familiarly known to the art- loving public -- is the most prominent work created by the young British artists of the 1990s. It was originally bought by the collector Charles Saatchi for 50,000 pounds ($101,000), a sum that caused a sensation at the time (though it now shows the inflation that contemporary art prices have undergone in the interim). Right from the start, Hirst's shark caused conservation problems. Unlike the other preserved wildlife in the artist's sculptural tableaux -- which now include large quantities of sheep, cows, pigs and other fauna -- the shark wasn't at first properly injected with formaldehyde. As a result, it deteriorated rapidly."

Hirst offered to restore the work after hedge-fund manager and art collector Steven A. Cohen bought it for $8 million in 2005.

Forbes' writer notes: "He thus posed a neat problem to those who agonize over the philosophy of art. Was the essence of Hirst's work a particular shark, or was it the idea of putting a predatory marine carnivore in a tank and calling it modern art? (Personally, my feeling is that Hirst is correct and the answer is the latter.)"

Judge for yourself at the Met this fall.

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Damien Hirst Pill Cabinet Sets Auction Record [tr]
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Damien Hirst Pill Cabinet Sets Auction Record

Damien Hirst's "Lullaby Spring" is now the most expensive work by a living artist ever sold at auction, picked up by an anonymous collector for $19.2 million at Sotheby's. It consists of 6,136 hand-crafted cast pills.

According to the Associated Foreign Press, "The 2002 work, which is part of a series of stainless steel cabinets that are an allegory for the four seasons, was expected to sell for up to four million pounds, and beat the previous record of 17.4 million dollars for a work by Jasper Johns sold at Christie's in New York last month."

Another piece in Hirst's pill series "Lullaby Winter" (below) sold for $7.4 million at Christie's last month.

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$100 Million Damien Hirst Diamond-Encrusted Skull Unveiled

A life-sized platinum skull encrusted with 8,601 diamonds weighing 1,106.18 carats was unveiled by artist Damien Hirst today in London.

"For the Love of God" is expected to fetch around $100 million and has already generated interest from two potential buyers, according to Tim Marlow, exhibitions director for the White Cube Gallery where the skull is to go on display.

According to Bloomberg, "Hirst...said he wasn't thinking of the newspaper headlines his $100 million skull would get when he set the price. His business skills were learned the hard way, he said. 'A lot of painful things happened to me. It's the oldest trick in the world to come in and say, 'I love it, can I have it?' and then flip it for a profit.' Some traders who buy Hirst works worry about how much he turns out at his factory-style studios. Hirst responds with an anecdote: 'I had a phone call from one of my galleries. He said, 'You're making too much. Do you have any more for me?'' The diamond-studded work, with an asking price more than triple that of any sculpture sold at auction in recent years, shows how artists reach for effects to draw sales in a crowded market, and how self-promotion is key to their success."

The skull cost Hirst $20 million to make.

The exhibit, "Damien Hirst: Beyond Belief", opens on June 3rd, and viewing of the skull is by ticket only. Information is available available here.

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George Michael, Addicted to Art, Pills, or the Two Together [tr]

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George Michael, Addicted to Art, Pills, or the Two Together

This morning Page Six reported that George Michael has been on an art-buying binge in the last month:

"In the past month, the superstar has spent $20 million on pieces by controversial shark-pickler Damien Hirst, among others, boosting the value of his personal collection up to a whopping $80 million. A source close to the 43-year-old star, who opens the new Wembley Stadium with two dates next month, tells us: 'George is hugely into his art. He made a lot of money from his 53-date tour last year and he thought this would be a good way to invest it. He's chosen pieces by Damien, photographer David LaChapelle and Tracey Emin. They wouldn't be to everyone's taste but they're hugely collectible and are certain to go up in value.' Michael will exhibit some of the works in partner Kenny Goss' gallery in Dallas. Meanwhile, Michael was outbid Thursday during a heated auction at Christie's for a Hirst piece. A source said Michael dropped out after the price hit $6 million. His rep declined to comment."

Michael also recently told British TV host Michael Parkinson that his incidents behind the wheel were due to a dependence on pills: "It involves prescribed drugs and it involves a dependency on them and the tendency to chase one drug with another because of side effects."

Out of curiosity, I checked the Christie's block to see what Damien Hirst had up for auction at the recent blockbusting Christie's auctions, and in addition to a gorgeous Malaysian butterfly piece called "Wonder of You", there was another piece that may have cried out for Michael.

Setting a world auction record for Hirst at Christie's (it sold for $7.4 million) was "Lullaby Winter", a sculpture consisting of glass, stainless steel, and rows and rows of painted cast pills. Hundreds of capsules and tablets line glistening shelves. It's a work that speaks to society's unhealthy reliance on medicine.

If Michael were to pop one of these painstakingly-recreated pills, however, it wouldn't do much. Probably not a great art piece for an admitted addict to have around though. And of course, George could have very well been after the butterflies.

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News: Damien Hirst, Jake Shears, Gaydar, Steve Irwin, Woodpecker

British bachelor gets dream date with Anderson Cooper — for $21,000.

In ironic hanging, Steve Irwin portrait replaces Germaine Greer's at Australia's National Portrait Gallery. At the time of Irwin's death, Greer had slammed the animal lover, saying "The animal world has finally taken its revenge on Irwin, but probably not before a whole generation of kids in shorts seven sizes too small has learned to shout in the ears of animals with hearing 10 times more acute than theirs, determined to become millionaire animal-loving zoo-owners in their turn."

Britney Spears' rat nest goes up for sale for a cool million. But she wastes no time replacing it.

Scientists: May be too late to save polar ice caps.

The Guardian reflects on gay "dating" site Gaydar and its founder Gary Frisch, who plunged eight floors to his death from his apartment balcony in south London last week: ""Some people are uncomfortable with Gaydar because it encourages a culture, almost through peer pressure, which kind of obliges users to reference themselves by their sexual preferences and the size of their equipment. You won't generally find that someone will call themselves, say, librarian3. It's going to be cocklover72 or something. You feel obliged to be that way because it's part of the culture. If you were to step outside that culture you would just look odd."

Gay Jamaican who appeared on TV anonymously has attempted suicide after residents in his community recognized his pendant and IDed him.

Damien Hirst offers up butterflies to Hollywood: "Indicative of how important his attack on Hollywood is for him, Hirst is flying more than 100 members of his staff into LA for the event and the Oscar parties. His first Hollywood show is not just about those tired old warhorses, money and celebrity. It’s also about credibility."

Love Comes Quickly for Pet Shop Boy Neil Tennant and Jake Shears.

Shame: How the Bush administration honor's America's troops: "Behind the door of Army Spec. Jeremy Duncan's room, part of the wall is torn and hangs in the air, weighted down with black mold. When the wounded combat engineer stands in his shower and looks up, he can see the bathtub on the floor above through a rotted hole. The entire building, constructed between the world wars, often smells like greasy carry-out. Signs of neglect are everywhere: mouse droppings, belly-up cockroaches, stained carpets, cheap mattresses."

Judy Garland (aka Rufus Wainwright) brings Carnegie Hall to London.

Robotic birdwatcher to search for ivory-billed woodpecker thought extinct.

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Art Market on Fire: Auctioned, Sold, and Stolen

An auction of contemporary art at Christie's set records yesterday with 64 individual works going for a whopping total of $239.7 million.

Among the standouts were three Andy Warhols (a Mao, an Orange Marilyn, and a Sixteen Jackies) each going for over $14 million. The International Herald Tribune notes: "Together, the three prices underline the dramatic expansion of the market for "historical contemporary," as works consecrated by the passage of time and the lasting fame surrounding their name may be characterized."

Other records were a 1968 Robert Mangold sculpture which went for nine times his previous record price, a Willem de Kooning which went for $27.12 million, and an Eric Fischl which broke a record for his work at$1.92 million.

Private transactions are also reflecting the trend. Recently it was reported that David Geffen sold a Jackson Pollock to financier David Martinez for $140 million, which would be the highest price ever paid for a painting. However, since the NYT's original report, others have said the sale took place but not to Martinez. In any case, the Pollock and Ronald Lauder's $135 million Gustav Klimt still went for a hell of a lot of cash. Oh for a bit of pocket change.

Those with limited wallet funds can get in on the action too, in London. At the end of the month the Royal College of Art will be selling hundreds of postcards by "famous and obscure" artists for 52 Euros each. Among them will be works by Damien Hirst and Tracey Emin. Buyers are limited to four postcards each.

Art lovers and Goya fans in particular will find themselves wanting when an exhibit at the Guggenheim which was supposed to feature the Spanish artist's "Children with a Cart" (above right)opens on Friday. The "children" were carted off by thieves when the truck transporting the painting was left unguarded at a rest stop or restaurant near Scranton, Pennsylvania. A $50,000 reward is being offered for the painting's recovery.

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