Did you know that James Franco was on Twitter? He is. And he’s so “artsy”. He’s so “deep”. He twit-pics photos of poems. FOR REAL. And he also twit-pics photos of himself, Portraits of The Artist As A Douchebag. Anyway, “The Artist” has yet to rise to his own defense in the wake of his stoned, lazy, pathetic performance as co-host of the Oscars. His rep issued a statement the other day, but Franco hasn’t said anything, or tweeted anything… until a student journalist at Yale wrote a piece mocking Franco’s Twitter (not his Oscar performance). So Franco tweeted this (NSFW language):

So, so clever. Here’s more from PopEater:

James Franco who joined Twitter just two weeks ago to help promote the Oscars, is now using the site to defend himself against haters — namely a fellow student at Yale — who skewered him not for his maligned performance on Sunday, but for his style of tweeting.

“James Franco, your Twitter sort of sucks,” Yale Daily News writer Cokey Cohen posted Saturday. In her article, Cohen argued that the actor should do more than post “random links to pictures and replies to celebrities.” The writer suggested James be more “pithy” like Kanye West.

The critically acclaimed star of ’127 Hours’ has so far been silent on criticism he was sluggish and even stoned during the Oscars on Sunday. He also hasn’t commented on reports that he and co-host Anne Hathaway grew to hate each other. (They looked chummy backstage!) But on Tuesday, James posted an image of himself overlaid with the words “F**K THE YALE DAILY NEWS” in red capital letters.

Cohen told The New Haven Register that her critical blogs of the star’s posts were “tongue-in-cheek” and that were supposed to be all in good fun. She says she’s actually a big fan of the actor.

“It’s funny how James couldn’t really care less about what anyone had to say about his performance, but went crazy after a writer at his campus newspaper criticized his Twitter page,” a friend of the star tells me.

I’m told that James had simply “had enough,” that it’s one thing to be called one of the worst Oscar hosts in history but another to get a lesson from a fellow student on how to conduct himself online. In case you were wondering, James is pursuing a doctorate in English at the Ivy League school.

[From PopEater]

The student journalist gave an interview where she said that her pieces about Franco were “tongue-in-cheek” and that she and Franco were just responding to each other all in good fun. I think for her it might have been fun or funny, but I wonder if that was Franco’s goal. I really, really think that Franco thinks his whole life is Performance Art, and that the people who criticize him just don’t “get” ART and how BRILLIANT he is. Douchebag.

Photos courtesy of Franco’s Twitter.

Last night was the annual Museum of Contemporary Art gala in California. Lots and lots of celebrities were in attendance, just not many of A-Listers. Instead, we have a buffet of B and C-list talent. I have a theory as to why the A-Listers didn’t show up – it’s because they knew that the lighting was going to be f-cking awful. Seriously, I was looking through these photos, and most of the people in attendance look like they’re at the tail end of some kind of plague. Take Priscilla Presley up there – yes, she normally looks this bad (ugh, poor Priscilla), but last night she actually looked about even with everybody else.

Gwen Stefani and Gavin are probably A-listers, I guess. Although Gwen toned her junk down, and Gavin looks totally over it. Totally over everything.

Kate Bosworth looks like a corpse. There, I said it. And not a fresh corpse either. Someone who has been dead for a while.

Even Mila Kunis looked like hell! Crappy styling, bad hair.

Balthazar Getty is back with his ridiculously smug wife Rosetta, and they’re both sending their own messages to Sienna Miller. Balthy is blinking out an “S-O-S. Need slutty vadge” message and Rosetta is all “None of you homewrecking bitches can take him from me! He‘ll always come home to me after you sluts dump him!”

Here’s Ginnifer Goodwin with her boyfriend, whose name I forget and I’m too lazy to look up Joey Kern. This is the first time I’ve seen a photo of them together – he’s not unattractive, but he has serial killer/grifter eyes.

Jennifer Love Hewitt and Alex Beh… she looks much better (and less drunk) here than she did the other day in that awful white boob-tasseled dress.

Here’s Rachel Bilson, wearing some kind of tablecloth you would find at a family-friendly establishment. Of course she showed up! Because she’s the opposite of famewhore, and she doesn’t just go wherever there are cameras.

Rose McGowan isn’t notable in the least, I just really loved her dress. Isn’t it pretty?

Kiki Dunst was actually one of my favorites from the night – she looked healthy, and the dress is really pretty on her.

Ugh… Chloe Sevigny was there. Of course. And she looked like a total a–hole. Jesus, Chloe.

Rachel Zoe and Rodger. I don’t even want to wonder if that is her “baby bump”. She looks deathly.

I liked Kristin Davis’s hair, but the dress needs a better fit. I’m worried about her “girls”.

Photos courtesy of WENN.

I don’t even know where to begin with this one. So… Kanye West has a new album coming out. The album is called…My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. Because Kanye is a 13-year-old Goth girl who thinks The Cure is the most important band, EVER, in the whole world and history of music. The name alone is enough to make you laugh at Kanye. But Kanye is too wonderful to only give us an ulbum name to chuckle at. Kanye tweeted the cover art for his album yesterday… and it is spectacular. Go to the end of the post to see this sh-t. It’s amazing. Even MORE amazing? It got banned! Kanye sent out a flurry of awesome tweets bitching about how his album was banned too… my favorite line: “They don’t want me chilling on the couch with my phoenix!” Best. Line. Ever.

[From Kanye’s Twitter]

My second favorite line is about Nirvana. You know what cover he’s talking about? This one. A naked baby on Nevermind. Yes, Kanye is correct, it’s still nudity. Gawker also pointed out that Kanye still isn’t as awesome as Jane’s Addiction – when Ritual de lo Habitual’s artsy nudity was banned, Jane’s Addiction just changed their cover art into the first amendment. Of course, that was all before Kanye wanted to represent with some phoenixes, yo.

Album cover courtesy of Gawker.

First of all, I was just going to make fun of Katy Perry for doing another topless photo shoot (for Jesus!), this time for her Teenage Dream album cover art. But I can’t – this is a painting! Damn, this is a really good painting, y’all. I truly thought it was a photograph. Of course, it’s still cheesy as hell. Pink clouds/cotton candy? Barf. A little wisp of pink covering her ass? Ugh. Who does this appeal to other than tween girls and pedophiles?

In other Katy Perry news, she’s making poor Russell Brand sell his shagging pad in London. All because he thinks he wants to build a life with Katy (because he’s addicted to their drama, perhaps?):

Russell Brand’s £2.5 million London pad has too much “history” for his fiancé Katy Perry so he is putting the property on the market, according to reports. The comedian is selling his four-bedroom, five-storey home in Hampstead and is reportedly planning on moving to New York to start married life.

The 2000 square foot home boasts modern gothic-inspired fireplaces, a giant yoga room, kinky mirrors and the supposedly infamous “hot-tub, with a built-in flat screen TV and overhead canopy, offering complete privacy’.

‘Now they are getting married, Katy didn’t feel comfortable with the amount of girls who knew where Russell lived – and of course all the history it carries,” a friend told the Mirror.

‘And Russell has moved on now. He wants to make a home for them to romp in. When he has been in London recently he had been staying in Claridge’s instead so that he could sell the house.’

Some reports suggest the house has already been snapped up. One thing the soccer-obsessed Get Him to the Greek Star won’t be leaving behind? His West Ham United cat bowl.

[From Monsters and Critics]

All I can think of is how much regret Russell is going to have when he and Katy split. He’s going to be heartbroken he sold his shagging pad, he really is. Oh well – maybe Katy and Rusty will make it work. Ha!

Oh, yes. I love it! Isn’t it terrible? This is Jennifer Lopez’s new cover art for her awesomely bad song “Louboutins” and her album “Love”. Here’s the thing – after having an absolutely horrible week in which you bust your ass on national network television, and your two singles “Louboutins” and “Fresh Out the Oven” are blasted as God-awful, wouldn’t you just go dark for a few days? Wouldn’t you say to yourself, “Hey, I don’t need this… I’m going to the beach.” Not Jennifer. She’s convinced herself that we need her. That we need this lackluster, ugly art work to go with her horrible music. You know what’s even worse? All Jennifer is doing is calling attention to the fact that no one really cares about her. This whole week, all I can think about is how out-of-touch Jennifer seems.

Jennifer Lopez released “Louboutins” as the lead single from her upcoming seventh studio album “Love?“. Written by The-Dream and Tricky Stewart, the song is a metaphor for a woman walking out on a no-good man, with the signature red bottoms on the popular Christian Louboutin heels visible as she struts off.

The single was first played on Ryan Seacrest’s KISS FM radio show on November 23, 2009 following her performance at the 2009 American Music Awards.

The single and video, on the Epic Records label, will debut on mainstream radio stations beginning December 8, 2009. J-Lo will also appear on an upcoming episode of Saturday Night Live.

The artwork for the single seems a little lackluster, showing J-Lo stretched out in a black lacy catwoman style jumpsuit and Louboutin heels.

[From Bitten and Bound]

Jennifer’s producer Tricky Stewart told Vibe: “If the females get behind [the song] and they really get into the lyrics of what she’s saying and the metaphor, I think it could be a really, really big hit for her. Anytime you work with an artist whose platform is so high and she’s gonna get exposure, we’re just hoping there’s a connection with those lyrics coming from her.” Um… what? The lyrics are just an ode to materialism. Which, granted, describes a lot of music these days. But a lot of those materialistic lyrics aren’t being wrapped up in some feminist bow. And how does Jennifer, photographed laying on her back in a lace bodysuit and stilettos make her a feminist again?

Jennifer Lopez’s “Louboutins” cover art courtesy of Bitten & Bound.

Here’s Jennifer’s AMA performance of “Louboutins” again. This song is so horrible:

Last week, we heard all about Kate Hudson and Alex Rodriguez’s sex life. We heard about it probably because it seems like Kate Hudson can’t shut up about it, to anyone. According to Us Weekly’s sources, Kate is like peanut butter to A-Rod’s jelly (ew) and she loves the overshare, even when she’s talking to her mom. Now, as a nice little addendum to that story, Us Weekly is reporting that A-Rod used to have (and may still have) not one, but two paintings of himself – as a centaur. In his bedroom. Above his bed, allegedly. Is this a deal breaker? I mean, I find it gross, but I’m not A-Rod’s target audience. I don’t know about Kate, but you know Madonna was eating that up. She probably bought him a horse costume.

The new Us Weekly reports that Kate Hudson has been trying to make New York Yankee Alex Rodriguez less of an egomaniac.

It must not be easy.

A former Rodriguez fling remembers seeing portraits of the slugger, 34, as a centaur hanging over his bed.

“He was so vain,” his ex tells Us Weekly. “He had not one, but two painted portraits of himself as a centaur. You know, the half man, half horse figure?”

Adds the ex, “It was ridiculous.”

Us Weekly also reports that Hudson, 30 — who has been front and center at his baseball games since they began dating this past spring — has been bragging to pals about what a good lover Rodriguez is.

“They love sex!” a pal tells Us Weekly of the pair who began dating in May. “They talk about it all day. Kate gets graphic talking about his body, even to her parents.”

[From Us Weekly]

…And now I’ve just spent way too much time googling centaur images. Here’s Dlisted’s portrait of A-Rod-as-centaur – and here’s one of the original sketchy centaur images it came from. But there are also some really cool centaur images. Here’s one of a Jon Hamm look-alike as a half-horse…. Mmm… that’s good stuff. I wouldn’t mind that. And here’s a more ancient rendering of a centaur. Man… those Greeks were kinky, eh?

Some of you may twitch at the name “Daniel Edwards”. He’s an artist/sculptor of the “celebrity shock” variety. He seems to use celebrity images exclusively to create some kind of pseudo-political-cultural message. Like his “Monument to Pro-Life” which featured a pregnant Britney Spears on her knees on a bearskin rug, giving birth. Or the “Oprah Sarcophagus”, which Edwards claimed he made to raise awareness about baby boomers’ health care needs. Daniel has done many more, which you can see here and here.

His latest work features none other than Angelina Jolie. According to the reports, the sculture was inspired by last year’s W Magazine cover, with Brad Pitt photographing Angelina Jolie breastfeeding one of their newborn twins. The sculpture features a nude Angelina, simultaneously breastfeeding two babies against each breast. The sculpture will debut in Norman, Oklahoma in the second week of September, all as part of World Breastfeeding Week (which is a real thing, I checked).

For World Breastfeeding Week, Phantom-Financial announces the unveiling of a life-size park bench sculpture of Angelina Jolie nude with her twin babies by New York artist Daniel Edwards just minutes from Brad Pitt’s own birthplace in the Oklahoma City Metro area in September before its Fall exhibition in London.

“Landmark for Breastfeeding,” inspired by last year’s cover of W magazine featuring Angelina Jolie suckling her baby, depicts a seated nude Jolie double-breastfeeding twins.

The tranquil bronze statue demonstrates the “football-hold,” an accepted technique for breastfeeding two babies simultaneously.

In recognition of the global effort to encourage breastfeeding, one twin is depicted as being of African descent. Future castings of the statue will represent other world cultures through variations of the babies’ patina coloring.

“We believe the statue sends a beautiful message by promoting the acceptance of public breastfeeding. Mothers should be encouraged to nurture their babies anywhere,” said Sandy Wilson of Phantom-Financial.

“Hopefully, my sculpture inspires an increase of wetnurses to assist women who have concerns about mastitis, or passing HIV to their infant,” said artist Daniel Edwards in his Connecticut studio where the Jolie statue currently resides.

“La Leche League International and Loretta McCallister have been very helpful,” said project coordinator Cory Allen. “We are applying for approval to put ‘Landmark for Breastfeeding’ on permanent display in a Metro area park.”

The Jolie monument will be unveiled September 11th at MAINSITE Contemporary Art in Norman.

A cast of the sculpture is expected to be auctioned by Sotheby’s October 7th for The New York Academy of Art’s annual Take Home A Nude art auction, after being displayed at Holster Projects in London’s West End.

“Landmark for Breastfeeding,” a short film documenting the project by filmmaker Dave Smith, produced by Vacant Era Films has been posted on YouTube. Edwards’s past works of celebrity motherhood include “Monument to Pro-Life,” featuring Britney Spears giving birth on a bearskin rug, and “Octomom: String of Babies.”

[From Studio 5]

The organization Phantom-Financial (which I’m not sure really exists) is taking credit for commissioning the artwork. I’m not really sure what to think of all of this. I totally support shifting societal standards to make breastfeeding anywhere, any time totally cool. I’m even okay with public art celebrating breast feeding. But to use Angelina’s image for it? Just seems weird. Then again, they are raising awareness more with this than with a sculpture of just some random woman breastfeeding. So… well done?

It’s never been any kind of secret that Brad Pitt loves his contemporary and modern art. He loves big, expensive pieces, too – big marble tables, Banksy sculptures, and now, a large, million-dollar oil painting by German artist Neo Rauch. Yesterday, the news broke that after Brad had gone to Washington to visit Angelina, he jetted off to Art Basel in Switzerland. Early indications were that he was looking to buy a work by American artist Jim Hodges. Turned out, Brad got into Neo Rauch instead. I was sort of rooting for the Hodges, actually. His work was prettier, and nine-foot wide racecar paintings aren’t for everyone – even if Brad meant this purchase to be a belated birthday gift for Angelina’s 34th.

A belated 34th birthday gift for Angelina?

On Tuesday, Brad Pitt dropped major bucks at Art Basel, an international art show for modern and contemporary works in Basel, Switzerland.

The actor spent $956,000 on a Neo Rauch oil painting, entitled Etappe, according to Bloomberg. The 9-foot-wide painting, done in 1998, shows a swirling view of a driver behind a red racecar, with workers nearby carrying hoses.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Pitt eyed the painting for several minutes while rubbing his goatee and fidgeting with his tweed hat. He initially walked away. “He’s on the fence. Nothing wrong with that, I guess,” New York dealer David Zwirner said.

But within minutes, Pitt returned with Los Angeles collectors Eli and Edythe Broad and made the big purchase.

It wasn’t the first time Pitt splurged on art.

Last year, he bought a white marble table by a Dutch designer and an aluminum rug by a Colombian designer at the same show.

[From US Weekly]

According to the tabloids, Brad’s passion for art has consistently been a sore spot in his relationship with Angelina. First, Angelina wanted Brad to simply get rid of (sell?) his art collection. After that, it seemed the millions of dollars Brad dropped yearly on his art was one of their biggest fights. Most of Brad’s pieces will likely grow in value through the years, though. If he’s serious about his passion, he will likely hold on to this stuff for decades, or perhaps never sell the stuff. Who knows? Maybe Angelina told Brad before he left, “Buy me something with racecars, please!”

Brad Pitt is shown in the header on 5/20/09 at Cannes. Credit: Fame Pictures. Picture below is of Pitt’s new purchase, David Zwirner’s 1998 piece Etappe via Art Basel’s website

Brad Pitt has always liked the finer things in life – he lives in gorgeous mansions, stays in the best hotels and resorts, wears the best suits, and collects the best art. “Best” being a relative term, I suppose. In the past, Brad and Angelina have shelled out money for art that I would consider cheesy or overrated, like stuff by British “artist” Banksy. Brad’s style has always been iffy (to me) because he seems to have a real love and affection for cold, sterile modern pieces rather than something more homey or kid-friendly.

This latest news could be nothing, but it has the ring of truth to it. Brad Pitt has set aside millions of dollars, in the hopes of expanding his extensive art collection. Art dealers are trying to woo him, in the hopes of a huge commission. But there has to be controversy, right? So, The Sun is saying that Brad is going to purchase all of this art behind Angelina’s back. Shocking!

Art lover Brad Pitt is setting aside millions of dollars to update his collection.

Dealers are trying to seduce him with various pieces but he knows what he wants — works by names in big demand.

He has his eye on a drawing by American Richard Serra, a painting by Japan’s Yayoi Kusama and another drawing by Canadian Marcel Dzama.

The three are due to be sold at auctions in New York.

But Brad has to keep things quiet from his missus Angelina Jolie, who doesn’t share his passion.

I’m sure she realises he has an eye for the finer things in life.

From The Sun

I really doubt Angelina cares how Brad spends his money, especially if it’s for the art that he adores so much. But in this economy! Actually, if Brad has the cash, it’s probably a really good time to buy art. The art market’s bubble burst at the same time the economy flatlined this past fall, and wise investors are picking up major pieces by major artists for millions of dollars less than they would have two years ago.

As far as the actual artwork, I had to look up the artists. Richard Serra is mainly a sculptor, creating huge outdoor pieces in steel. Marcel Dzama works mostly with drawings and watercolors, and his work looks a little blah. Yayoi Kusama works with a lot of color for her paintings and other art pieces, and she’s by far the artist I could see the Jolie-Pitt kids embracing.

Brad Pitt is shown shooting a commercial for Softbank on 4/29/09. Credit: INFphoto.

The artist who drew the now famous Barack Obama posters with the word “HOPE” is suing the Associated Press ahead of an expected lawsuit from them. Street artist Shepard Fairey claims his iconic images are an exception to traditional copyright rules because he only used the photograph as a reference. And to further complicate the issue, the photographer who took the picture, Mannie Garcia, is a freelancer, and according to his deal with the Associated Press he still owns the rights to the image. Yet the AP was threatening Fairey with legal action.

According to the suit, A.P. officials contacted Mr. Fairey’s studio late last month demanding payment for the use of the photo and a portion of any money he makes from it.

Mr. Fairey’s lawyers, including Anthony T. Falzone, the executive director of the Fair Use Project and a law lecturer at Stanford University, contend in the suit that Mr. Fairey used the photograph only as a reference and transformed it into a “stunning, abstracted and idealized visual image that created powerful new meaning and conveys a radically different message” from that of the shot Mr. Garcia took.

The suit asks the judge to declare that Mr. Fairey’s work is protected under fair-use exceptions to copyright law, which allow limited use of copyrighted materials for purposes like criticism or comment.

“Fairey did not do anything wrong,” said Julie A. Ahrens, associate director of the Fair Use Project and another of Mr. Fairey’s lawyers, in a statement on Monday. “He should not have to put up with misguided threats from The A.P.” Paul Colford, a spokesman for The A.P., said on Monday that the agency was “disappointed by the surprise filing by Shepard Fairey and his company and by Mr. Fairey’s failure to recognize the rights of photographers in their works.”

[From the New York Times]

The image really is stunning, and to say it’s now iconic is an understatement. There are websites that let you upload your own picture and then transform it in the same style as the Obama photo. You can even pick your own word. The posters made a real impact with people, even though the Obama campaign never officially endorsed them (due to worries about the copyright).

It seems the whole thing may end up being a moot point, as it sounds like original photographer/copyright holder Mannie Garcia was very impressed with Fairey’s work.

In a telephone interview on Monday, Mr. Garcia said he was unsure how he would proceed now that the matter had landed in court. But he said he was very happy when he found out that his photo was the source of the poster image and that he still is.

“I don’t condone people taking things, just because they can, off the Internet,” Mr. Garcia said. “But in this case I think it’s a very unique situation.”

He added, “If you put all the legal stuff away, I’m so proud of the photograph and that Fairey did what he did artistically with it, and the effect it’s had.”

[From the New York Times]

I think the AP should just let this one go. I doubt Fairey got rich off the image, and ownership in this case is dubious at best. And it’s not like the guy was printing up their photo, smacking it on t-shirts and selling it. He based his own drawing off it. Yes it’s something a court could weed though, but I think it’s in better taste to just let it go.

Header image is the iconic Obama “Hope” image compared to the AP Photo. Thanks to The NY Times for this comparison image.