Jerelle Kraus, former art editor of the NYT's Op-Ed page, has a new book out, and she's telling all of the paper's sexy art secrets! Here, three images the Times killed for being too erotic:

We knew that celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz had some serious financial problems. But we didn't know they were so bad that she had to sign over all of her photos to a pawn shop:

"Pawnshop" is such a loaded word: It almost immediately conjures up an image of a seedy, fluorescent-lit room with a clerk standing behind bulletproof glass and display cabinets full of tacky gold jewelry. Fortunately, if you happen to be rich, possess a reasonably large collection of art, and you're desperate for cash, you can call up Art Capital Group, which doesn't look anything like a pawnshop since it's located in the former Sotheby's building on Madison Avenue, and "looks at first glance like an art gallery," reports the Times. But bring Art Capital your collection and they'll do the same thing every other pawnshop does: They'll extend you a loan using your art works as collateral, and if you fail to pay back what you owe, you'll have to say goodbye to them forever.

Conspicuous consumption may be out, but art stays tucked away in your mansion. Which helps explain why global elites spent $264 million in one night on the collection of Yves Saint Laurent.

The recession hasn't killed the art market, after all. Buyers defied the downturn as Yves Saint Laurent's art collection hit the auction block last night. Record prices for works by Matisse, Brancusi, Mondrian and Duchamp were set, and Christie's raked in $264 million on the first night alone. So who were these buyers spending big bucks? Here's a clue: "Among the last-minute VIP visitors to the exhibition hall, just four hours before the sale, was Russian billionaire art collector Roman Abramovich, accompanied by dealer Larry Gagosian. Christie's owner French billionaire Francois Pinault, was present at the sale." [NYT, BN]

You won't be able to pick up Metropolitan Museum posters and placemats for much longer, at least in places like Costa Mesa and Houston. The Met has announced that it plans to close 15 of its satellite shops around the country. [NYT/ArtsBeat]

The hotly anticipated auction of the collection of Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé begins today in Paris. Can't be there to in person to ogle the works by Picasso and Matisse? Christie's, which is spending a record amount to promote the auction, has posted hundreds of photos to Flickr. You can take a look around after the jump.

Here you have our President, Barack Obama, complete with his crew of close friends: Puffy, Ludacris, Jay-Z, and Jeezy. This was drawn by either a Miami graffiti artist or the Republican National Committee. [via AnimalNY]

Look, it's the portrait of CBS boss Les Moonves and his wife Julie Chen that hangs in their den. It shows various hangers-on toasting the couple as Les is maybe getting a hand job? [NYT]

News that won't be surprising to anyone: The art world is still steeped in gloom, as evidenced by the scene at last night's opening gala for the Art Show at the Park Avenue Armory. The benefit, which used to be sponsored by Lehman Brothers and be a riot of hedge funders dropping millions on pieces to add to their collections, was attended by the likes of Donald Marron, Steve Schwarzman, John McEnroe, Glenn Lowry, Agnes Gund, and Michael Ovitz, but still saw "meager" sales.

Henry Matyjewicz was arrested for being the infamous Poster Boy. But is he really? He's still discussing it vaguely, at great length! Interesting interview, but no mas till after your trial, dude. Cops read. [NYPress]

The outcry over New York Post cartoonist Sean Delonas' dead monkey cartoon today is growing louder. But he has such a rich history! We assembled ten of his all-time classics of hate:

White House photographer Pete Souza takes lovely pictures of President Obama making Hope happen, but sometimes his gorgeous compositions look like stifling, paranoid scenes of a man trapped in a nightmare.

The identity of subway ad vandalartist Poster Boy is now the most important issue facing New York. He was arrested last week—or was he? Either way, the guy is now fighting the power:

Poster Boy is mighty famous now. But becoming an artistic remixer of public space is easy! In this little clip, Jordan Seiler of Public Ad Campaign—a Poster Boy pal—shows just how easy.

The Associated Press is alleging copyright infringement by street artist and graphic designer Shepard Fairey, who based his famous Barack Obama posters on an AP image. Why now?

The suddenly absurdly famous subway ad remix vandal Poster Boy is seriously committed to this "Poster Boy is a movement, not one guy" thing. Reality, or a way to avoid conviction? Attempted fact check time!

Did you know that acclaimed pancake-head artist Dan Lacey is also an erotic cartoonist? It's true! But now his eBay-ing rights are under attack from a dreaded conservative blogger.

Some people in California need answers! Did they actually buy a rare painting of Barack Obama from before he was famous? Or just an ugly painting of a random black guy in a garish shirt?

The fuzz thinks it arrested Poster Boy when it took Henry Matyjewicz into custody. But Poster Boy is bigger than one dude, maaan. Poster Boy is a MOVEMENT.