Takashi Murakami: homage to Yves Klein

I do like a bit of Takashi Murakami it must be said. All that 'real flat' stuff that's become his trademark.

Now he's bucked his trend with this homage to the post-war European artist, Yves Klein, who was known for leading the Nouveau réalisme movement. None of your real flat here, there's more texture than an anaglypta wall.

You could say it has depth.

Takashi Murakami: close-up at the Gagosian

That Murakami exhibition is ongoing at the Gagosian in West London until August 5, and if like me you have yet to visit, here are a few more images of Manga girls with inflated appendages to help you make your mind up. But it isn't all Japanese erotica. There are cartoon skulls as well.

Murakami at the Gagosian: knockers before entering

Here's an eyeful of the new Takashi Murakami exhibition at the Gagosian in London, which runs until August 5.

Of course there will be more on offer than cute manga looking girls with massive tits, but what more do you really need to know about? A square headed kid? OK there's one of them too.

Banksy: At it again

At the other end of the art spectrum from the extravagance of Murakami is Banksy.

None of your Palace of Versailles here - instead he chooses pretty average urban walls which need a bit of a perking up with a few observations on the hypocrisy of life.

Seeing as he's in the middle of some sort of multicolour spraypaint comedy battle with another graffiti bloke called King Robbo right now, you can expect these pieces to last about as long as it takes Robbo to find them.

Maybe that's the significance of the egg timer in the one above. Maybe it's something completely different.

Whatever, it's a good job someone took some pictures of them

Murakami at Château de Versailles: Manga goes Baroque

I can kind of understand the controversey Murakami's exhibition at the Château de Versailles is causing. It's hardly as if his art fits in with all the Baroque stuff you would usually find at this French monument of excess.

But when I think about it there is a certain thread. The cultures might be centuries as well as continents apart, but they do share a common theme of shiny oppulence.

All the same I might be a bit put off myself if I turned up to find a 20ft gold cartoon character spoiling the vista.

Not to mention the giant gobstopper in the hallway.

King Louis would turn in his grave.
Via Coolhunting