Making Bank(sy)

On Tuesday night, two blocks from World of Wonder HQ on Hollywood Blvd, over $4.5 million worth of art by British artist Antony Micallef was on display at a private gallery reception. Sounds like a lot, but it's really not when you consider that a small charcoal study on paper could set you back $50,000. And it appeared to have set back more than a few people judging by all the red "sold" dots under the art; there were so many dots that I heard whispers of a red-dot conspiracy, suggesting that they'd been placed on the wall to create a buying-frenzy atmosphere. The art itself consisted of a juxtaposition of black and white wheat-pasty soldiers, angels, and minotaurs mixed with softer pastel elements like Chanel and Maccy-D logos, sprinkly sugar donuts, and pretty floral patterns. There was one truly inspired painting of a young boy drawing heaven and hell with Crayolas – all demons with legs cut off and angels giving blowjobs – that I could have stared at for hours. And it should take hours to look at, for $150,000. It's a street-meets-kitsch style, and unsurprisingly so; Micallef, a street artist whose name was practically unknown last year, is represented by the same crack agency who sold Banksy to America last year, culminating in a Brangelina buy-out on opening night and the front page of the New York Post. Sadly, there were no Jolie Pitts or Reeves in sight this time around, just a couple of Olsen Twins ("bitchy," according to Thairin) and Sharon Osbourne ("bitchy," according to common knowledge). Sour-faced stars aside, there was one man laughing on his way out of the gallery all the way to the bank.

– Steven Corfe

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