Damien Hirst's 1,500 career-spanning, geometrically relentless spot paintings are taking over the planet. Adrian Searle longs for a smear, a wobble – or one with no purple in it
Touching or toe-curling? As Jay-Z releases an emotional rap about his newborn daughter, Laura Barton takes a look at the songwriters who have been overcome by parenthood
9 Jan 2012: Jonathan Jones: Love him or hate him (or evidently just hate him), the kitsch, controversial Hirst represents a break from the buttoned-up good taste that once prevailed in the UK
From Ai Weiwei to Urs Fischer, Jonathan Jones looks back at 2011's biggest art world stories, and sets out essential dates for your 2012 diary in our Art Weekly annual roundup
17 Dec 2011: Jonathan Jones: From the monarchy to fashion to old-fashioned food, British culture is brimming with pride. But is there a dark side to this new patriotism?
24 Nov 2011: Jonathan Jones: Hirst's pickled tiger shark changed the way I saw conceptualism. His forthcoming Tate retrospective will show how the rest of recent British art is a footnote to his brilliance