With worldwide insolvency imminent and more galleries dragging their heels to the killing floor, it was only a matter of time before recessionomics forced big-name artists to downsize as well. The most sobering news comes from Damien Hirst's camp, where about half of his London-based workforce has been laid off.

Brit artist and professional provocateur Damien Hirst has teamed up with Levi’s for the second time. And the fruits of the collaboration -- “three works of art of spin-painted 501 styles and the development of a limited edition collection,” says WWD -- are nothing to scoff at. The collection in question features 12 denim styles, all ornamented with classic Hirst motifs (think “skulls, colorful spots and tropical butterflies,” adds WWD).

Because it's the middle of the week, there's no time like the present for a round-up of the myriad things shaking up the art universe:

- The Church hearts contemporary art.

- Some erudite folks have managed to trace what could be a rogue painting by the late Jackson Pollock to an erstwhile World War II German Luftwaffe pilot-turned-American-agent.

I've been skirting all things Damien Hirst as long as I possibly could, in favor of talented, budding artists who may never see Sotheby's or find the resources to fashion a ginormous diamond skull. And then once the news piled up, I toyed with the idea of visiting a particular exhibit to snap a suitable picture to match the headline, but that seemed like too much work. Instead, here's a perfunctory rundown of what's been happening in the iconic artist's life lately. Most items orbit his paradigm-shifting antics that threaten to render the middlemen -- galleries, dealers, agents -- redundant.

Can't get your art-school girlfriend into an artsy after-hours party this season? Get her a Damien Hirst knock-off instead! The replica of this overpriced piece of Hirstian genius goes for about a $100 million less than the original's asking price. Though the $25 streamlining of "For the Love of God" is sure to send Hirst into a hissyfit, it's the type of commercialism that would have Andy Warhol giddy with joy. Splash out an extra $4.25, and you can get yours in an adorable gift-box.

Following the failure of his artwork to sell, Damien Hirst's battered ego gets a lift: His diamond skull is getting picked up by the Amsterdam-based Rijksmuseum for a traveling exhibition. Titled "For the Love of God," the diamond skull will be accompanied by a collection of 17th-century paintings from the museum, handpicked by Hirst -- the overlying theme being the fear of death through the ages. Expected to boost the value of the piece's purportedly initial $100 million price tag through its exposure at more renowned venues, the exhibition will run from November through mid-December.

Internationally renowned contemporary artist, collector, investor, and financier, Damien Hirst will be auctioning off his own works under the title “Beautiful Inside my Head Forever” at Sotheby’s in London on September 15th and 16th. The highlight of this auction will be his famous formaldehyde installation The Golden Calf, with hooves and horns cast in 18-karat gold. The auction represents an odd move for Hirst, who is bypassing the usual middlemen of dealers and gallery folk, to sell directly to the public himself. Bidding starts at 15.7 million. Do I hear 15.8?