It’s been a turbulent year in travel. One big change – of many – has been Virgin Australia’s descent into voluntary administration.

As Virgin Australia transitions into a more middle-market offering, in order to struggle back to its feet, Velocity points holders are losing some of the perks they used to take for granted.

As DMARGE reported in June, the revolution isn’t going to take Virgin Australia to the cost-cutting depths of Ryanair, but it is certainly going to offer a less premium service moving forward.

Bain Capital’s Sydney-based managing director Mike Murphy told The Australian earlier this year Virgin Australia would be reborn as a hybrid airline with a low-cost base and a more integrated Velocity frequent flyer program.

This has started coming true.

Unfortunately, along the way, predictions like that of Flight Hacks founder Immanuel Debeer have also come true. As Debeer told DMARGE in May, “Frequent Flyer points won’t just disappear but when all this is over, their value will most likely slump depending on how things play out.”

“Velocity has shut down all options of redeeming points so those who didn’t act will need to hope that whoever buys out the assets knows how to run a frequent flyer program.”

Though the freeze on Velocity points usage is now over, an Instagram post last week by Debeer suggests he feels vindicated in his misgivings, with 67% of respondents to a poll the frequent flyer put out claiming to have moved their points out of their Velocity account (and with Debeer claiming to be “super glad” to have already done so).

“I cleared out my points as soon as I got a hunch of VA’s downfall,” Debeer told DMARGE.

This comes after Virgin Australia last week infuriated some business class passengers by serving them instant noodles.

RELATED: Virgin Australia ‘Noodlegate’ Sparks Concerns Over The Americanisation Of Business Class

“I think Bain is on a cost-cutting spree and these days you can get away with almost anything in the name of COVID,” Debeer told DMARGE.

“Virgin used to have (in my opinion) the world’s best domestic business class product in terms of food, service and seats. Now we’re seeing the (don’t take offence) ‘Americanisation’ of business class.”

WT….??? #Virgin Australia https://t.co/lw2GlS50WY

— boringaccountant (@ildiko42749502) October 13, 2020

“With all Virgin Australia lounges closed indefinitely and economy grade hot meals served in Business class, unfortunately there’s [now] very little to differentiate between the Virgin Australia’s onboard business class experience and the economy cabin,” Adele Eliseo, founder of The Champagne Mile, shared with DMARGE.

All this also comes after a recent update to the Virgin Australia Velocity Frequent Flyer scheme, in which various perks were cut.

“These changes come as a significant blow to Velocity members, continuing the reduction of benefits for those members who hold elite status,” Flight Hacks reports, further explaining “Velocity members will no longer earn points when travelling on flights with Virgin’s international partner airlines, such as Singapore, Delta and Etihad.”

Though most Australians can’t fly anywhere internationally anyway right now, “if that rule stays in place in 2021, then booking to fly with partner airlines through Virgin won’t seem so appealing, and passengers might opt for other alternatives,” news.com.au reports.

“That in turn makes the partnerships less valuable overall.”

Velocity is currently trying to persuade customers to spend their points domestically, offering 30% off the points needed for redemptions in Australia.

That said, given how ‘flighty’ business class passengers can be without a solid frequent flyer scheme to lock them down, it appears Virgin Australia will need to do more to keep them in their gilded cage.

They also need to do more to convince Australians of the new Virgin Australia philosophy, with the imminent exit (and alleged coup against) Virgin Australia CEO Paul Scurrah bearing the hallmarks of what Australian Aviation have called “the start of a classic private equity smash-and-grab operation.”

Read Next

• Points Hacking Expert Reveals WTF Is Going To Happen To Your Velocity Account Now
• Aviation Experts Reveal What Virgin Australia Could Look Like In 5 Year’s Time

The post Velocity Points Value: Business Class Passengers Wince At New Limitations appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Celebrities are a constant source of influence with regards to how we believe we should look. Whether it be Justin Bieber’s hair or Brad Pitt’s style, megastars such as these are who we look to for inspiration. The same can be said for fitness. If a celebrity claims to be a fan of a certain piece of equipment, the ubiquitous Peloton or Mirror, for example, then you can expect sales to see a significant spike.

But if you’re seeking levels of strength akin to special forces commandos, or you’re on a mission to lose the excess you happily munched during lockdown, the solution could be a lot simpler than switching up your diet or putting yourself through bizarrely convoluted workouts.

Weighted vests – which closely resemble special forces bulletproof vests (and can be made from similar tough and rugged materials) – are a simple yet effective piece of equipment that you can don for your morning walk or run, or rock at the gym when performing certain exercises to help increase both your fitness and strength.

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Going into the weekend on or maybe it’s just my legs on . Loving my new Boost’s @adidas but not loving @mrbobbyrich so much

A post shared by David Beckham (@davidbeckham) on Oct 9, 2020 at 6:05am PDT

Additionally, if you’re not able to get back into your gym just yet due to the ongoing global situation, then adding a weighted vest into the mix will help to maintain your fitness levels so that you’re not restarting from scratch when you can eventually be reunited with your beloved squat rack.

They’re not solely reserved for bodybuilders or those who look themselves a little too much in the mirror at the gym, but instead can be used by anyone and everyone as they’re available in a wide range of weights (and usually have the capacity for more weight to be added) meaning even someone with a lower level of fitness can wear one to add some resistance to their routine – and with the likes of David Beckham and Laird Hamilton incorporating them into their training regimes, we can only expect their popularity to skyrocket.

Weighted vests have been scientifically proven to help you lose fat too, and you don’t even need to do anything other than just wear it around the house. A 2020 study carried out by the University of Gothenburg separated participants into two groups. One group wore a 1kg vest for three weeks while the second wore 11kg vests for the same duration. They were told to wear the bests for eight hours a day for the three week test period, but otherwise to live as usual.

At the end of the study, the group wearing the lighter vests lost around 0.3kg in weight while the group with the heavier vests lost 1.6kg. Perhaps more importantly, Professor Claes Ohlsson, one of the researchers, found “the heavier weighted vests reduced fat mass while muscle mass simultaneously remained intact”, adding weight to the argument that weighted vests can help to at least maintain your strength until you get back to a gym.

But before you go piling on the upholstered pounds, there are some factors you need to be aware of before you go strapping yourself in. Firstly, you need to already be someone who is regularly active before you think about adding extra weight to your body.

As with anything relating to training, the correct technique and form is the most important thing to consider. If adding weight has a negative effect on your running technique, for example, then you will either need to drop the weight, stop using the vest altogether, or build-up your strength levels without a vest first, so that you can prevent injury and better cope with added weight when you reintroduce the vest.

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Nothing like a hike we the misses @gabbyreece and a 50lb vest. Happy Sunday humans. Fueled by @lairdsuperfood

A post shared by Laird Hamilton (@lairdhamiltonsurf) on Sep 20, 2020 at 3:12pm PDT

Naturally, they’re not suited to all exercises. It would be pretty pointless wearing one when on the barbell bench press, for example, but for core exercises such as planks or bodyweight squats, the added weight will generate greater stress on the muscles, which in the world of fitness, is useful.

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The post Weight Vest Training: Celebrity Training Craze You Can’t Avoid appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Money can’t buy happiness, but it can certainly buy you confidence – or at least help get you that coveted ‘blue tick’ on social media.

That’s one of the many takeaways from the latest dating ‘challenge’ that’s taking the Internet by storm, inspired by the latest ‘love story’ between rappers Quavo and Saweetie.

Quavo (real name Quavious Keyate Marshall), best known as the head honcho behind chart-topping rap trio Migos, recently revealed how his relationship with Icy Grl artist Saweetie (real name Diamanté Quiava Valentin Harper) started when he slid into her Instagram DMs with a single emoji: a snowflake, referencing her aforementioned breakout single. Looks like shooting his shot worked, because the two have been dating ever since.

HOW I PULLED UP: HOW WE COMING pic.twitter.com/hIYyicrfIj

— QuavoYRN (@QuavoStuntin) October 7, 2020

It’s an incredibly ballsy move that perhaps wouldn’t have worked for anyone else… That hasn’t stopped scores of men and women from trying the same move, calling it the #quavochallenge – with much less success than Quavo.

Twitter has been rife with people sharing their attempts at picking up using this enigmatic opening line (or emoji, rather). Most have not been successful. People have even tried out different emojis or directing the move towards brands – good luck getting Elon Musk to send you a Model S with that, though.

RELATED: Stock Jump After Elon Musk ‘Prediction’ Betrays The Real Problem With Tesla Shares

#quavochallenge pic.twitter.com/NMdxpif7mv

— ‘ . (@blr_sarah) October 11, 2020

Our thoughts? It just goes to show how desperate people are becoming in 2020. Thanks to The Bat Kiss, most of us have been resigned to using dating apps or social media to get our fix of romance. That the #quavochallenge is being taken up in earnest demonstrates how utterly bereft of ideas we all are… Or perhaps how hungry we are for any sort of human connection.

That said, we’ve previously revealed here at DMARGE how confidence can make you seem more attractive… And there’s nothing more confident that just dropping an emoji as your opening line.

Read Next

• Michael B. Jordan Admits To Sliding Into Women’s DMs To Get A Date

The post ‘Coldest’ Dating Trend Of 2020 Takes Twitter By Storm appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

What’s worse than deleting (then re-downloading) Tinder on a weekly basis? Worse than ghosting someone but continuing to watch their Instagram stories? Worse than pausing to take a breath in the middle of your coffee order?Ordering a cappuccino.Let’s back up a moment: Australia may be the ‘lucky country,’ but it’s rarely called cool. Indeed, the ‘coolest’ aspects of Australia are some of its most ridiculed (see: the much-maligned ‘Bondi, Byron, Bali‘ triangle).However, when it comes to Australia’s ‘coolness per capita’ being mocked, it’s not our prehistoric approach to energy production (which – at an environmental price – has helped secure our ‘lucky’ status since the GFC of 2008), but our lack of culture.Leaving aside the fact Australia is home to one of the oldest living cultures on the planet, the criticism usually centers around the lack of tradition and heritage in Australia’s Big Cities. This is most painfully demonstrated by our cappuccino froth.RELATED: Grown Men Ordering Piccolos ‘To Go’ Reveals Why Australia’s Cafe Culture Will Never Match Europe’sCappuccinos are a classic Italian drink, made with espresso and steam foamed milk, drunk in the morning by Italians (along with a cornetto). They are not, however, drunk after about 11 am in Italy – which is around about the time many Sydney students and Melbourne money makers roll out of bed and start ordering them.

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A post shared by Martina Marilli (@marti962) on Oct 18, 2020 at 12:53pm PDT

Therein lies the problem with cappuccinos; they are the drink you migrate to after Mochas, but which you (if you have an ounce of self-respect) quickly move on from, in favour of a Flat White, a Latte, a Piccolo.How else are you going to make the eventual journey to ~cool~, one day learning to enjoy the pinnacle of psycho ground bean culture; espressos, macchiatos, long blacks?While we believe people should be able to order any drink they want, we’d like to provide cappuccino drinking Australians with a public service: as long as you continue your sweet, frothy habit, people may struggle to take you seriously.

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A post shared by Mel Gould (@mel_gould) on Sep 29, 2020 at 10:48pm PDT

You’re either living in the past, consuming an excessive number of calories (in Italy a cappuccino is a meal in itself, which is why it is drunk for breakfast), or massacring a sacred beverage (don’t talk to me about ‘skinny caps’).Suffice to say: if you’re older than 24 and still drinking cappuccinos, you either have a sugar addiction problem, or you traded the emotional safety blanket that was Disney films from your childhood with your First Year Uni drink of choice.If you want to take the next step in life (and reduce your insulin spikes while you’re at it), it’s time to get over it.Think of it like this: you’ve just moved to Sydney and have found the perfect date. Someone refined enough to dine at Quay, down-to-earth enough to reject the Amalfi Beach Club Bondi proposal, chill enough to crack a beer on the beach and hashtag “day for it,” without fretting about the potentially ‘bogan’ Instagram optics.Then you realise their drink of choice is a cappuccino.Naturally, you get back on the Hinge roulette wheel (even if you drink cappuccinos yourself). Why? As the likes of Maslow and Freud have pointed out, people often detest the traits in others they recognise as weaknesses in themselves. And there’s nothing crueller than a mirror.

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A post shared by ROLLERS BAKEHOUSE (@rollers_bakehouse) on Sep 21, 2020 at 2:06pm PDT

So: while it’s not necessary to go full “beard, flannel shirt, turmeric latte” (nor is it needed to whack on boat shoes and a long-sleeved pastel shirt, and order a dreary Flat White every day), we would like to encourage all cappuccino frothers to shake up their routine.RELATED: The Humiliating Coffee Mistake Every Australian Makes In ItalyThat said, there is a ray of light for The Cappuccino Crazy: when DMARGE spoke to Head Barista Emma Bean at Sydney cafe, restaurant and bar Next Door, she said there is less baggage associated with ordering a cappuccino than neurotic souls like ourselves like to think: “You don’t really think about it too much, flat white and cappuccinos are pretty stock standard coffees, though if you were to run the coffee out to a table say a man and a woman were sitting there you’d automatically assume that the cap is for the women.”There is hope though. Some Sydney cafes refuse to serve the beverage. As DMARGE recently reported, bespoke sustainable coffee roaster ONA Marrickville, which serves Sydney’s most expensive coffee (or one of them at least) is touted as a pillar of the community, loved by coffee nerds, and all the while refuses to serve lattes, cappuccinos or flat whites.ONA’s milk-based coffees are all served ~spartan~, similar to a cappuccino but without the extra froth and chocolate.We’ll raise a mug to that.

Read Next

• Grown Men Riding Scooters To Work Proves Why Sydney Will Never Be Cool
• I Tried Sydney’s Most Expensive Coffee & It Ruined Me For Life

The post Cappuccino Australia: Cap Drinkers Killing Australian Coffee Culture appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

The Kardashians are the closest thing America has to a royal family. The entertainment, fashion, music and business empire that surrounds the large extended family – and their equally famous partners – has a gravitational pull that’s enthralling to even people who don’t give a toss about celebrity culture.Many of the family’s members are known for their extravagant taste, especially in cars: take Kylie Jenner’s ‘garish’ Rolls-Royce, Travis Scott’s ’90s pimp’ G-Wagen, Kanye West’s Lamborghini Urus or Kim Kardashian’s multiple Range Rovers, the ultra-rich clan have an enormous fleet of cars.But unlike her relatives, Kendall Jenner has a more restrained taste in automobiles. Arguably the most grounded of the family, the 24-year-old model and socialite prefers retro American style to European luxury. While she does own a few modern, stereotypical celebrity whips – like a Ferrari 488 Spider – her prize possessions are her older vehicles, like her 1957 Corvette C1, 1969 Chevrolet Camaro SS, 1965 Ford Mustang and 1960 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz (all of which are convertibles).These aren’t just show ponies, either: she loves taking these old beauties out for a spin, and was spotted cruising around Malibu in her ‘Caddy’ earlier this month.

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A post shared by Just Jared (@justjared) on Oct 8, 2020 at 10:05pm PDT

The fourth generation of Cadillac’s range-topping Eldorado model line is arguably the prettiest Cadillac ever made: its wide stance, chrome highlights and huge tailfins make it the perfect expression of American retro cool. Only produced between 1959 and 1960 (the 1960 model is easily recognised by its ‘dual bullet’ tail lights), the Biarritz is incredibly rare, with only 1320 ever made. Jenner’s is in immaculate condition, too – its purple paint job truly fit for royalty. It’s refreshing to see at least one Kardashian has good taste in cars.Suffice to say, though Jenner may not have a certain type when it comes to dating, her taste in automobiles is consistently impeccable.RELATED: Sydney Sweeney’s Stunning Retro 4×4 Bucks ‘Clichéd’ Celebrity Car TrendJenner recently joined fellow A-listers Naomi Campbell, Playboi Carti, Skepta and J Balvin – as well as her sister Kylie, her partner Travis Scott and half-sister Kim – for the elaborate debut of Matthew M. William’s first campaign for Givenchy as creative director. Williams is also known as the founder of cult label 1017 ALYX 9SM and for his collaborations with brands such as Nike, Moncler and Dior.

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• Streetwear Legend Ronnie Feig Revamps BMW’s Most Iconic M3 Coupé
• Zlatan Ibrahimovic Buys Himself ‘Most Zlatan’ Birthday Present Ever

The post Kendall Jenner Once Again Impresses With Impeccable Purple Cadillac appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Winter and beards go together like apple and cinnamon: many men take advantage of the colder weather to get bristly, and one of the breakout trends of 2020 has been the ‘lockdown fluff’, with Australian celebrities like Chris Hemsworth also jumping in on the craze.RELATED: I Tried Chris Hemsworth’s ‘Isolation Beard’ & It Was A Complete DisasterBut as warmer weather is slowly rolling in Down Under, we’re weighing up whether or not we keep our beloved bumfluff. Do you risk overheating in the Aussie summer, do you keep just a bit to get a head-start on Movember, or do you shave it all off in anticipation of summer lovin’? And what’s the perfect warm-weather beard?We spoke to Australian barbers Jacob Martin and Richie Shohan, who related that it’s different for every man.“It totally depends on the thickness and length of the beard, and shape of the face,” Shohan relates.Shohan suggests that keeping a simple moustache or rocking an ‘anchor’ beard (think Robert Downey Jr.) as they “suit the warmer weather better as they are flexible looks and have lower hair density to let you feel more breezy… [But] any beard style looks great when it’s done professionally!”

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A post shared by Robert Downey Jr. Official (@robertdowneyjr) on Sep 23, 2020 at 9:59am PDT

But if you’re dead-set on keeping the ‘Amish’ beard you’ve been cultivating during lockdown, Martin’s got some choice advice.“Aerate your beard regularly with a wide-toothed comb to help detangle and help remove debris, and regularly wash your beard with specially formulated beard wash. Be aware of your work conditions as well – tradies will need to wash more due to dust, debris etc.”Making sure you keep your beard nice and clean is particularly important in summer when your beard is likely to be exposed to more sun, sea and salt than usual.“Scalp and face skin types are very different due to the PH levels of the face,” Martin relates.

“Be sure to use a wash that has been designed specifically for [your] face – no using Head and Shoulders to clean your beard! Also due to the climate here in Australia ensure you keep your beard moisturised and look at products that protect from sun & sea damage!”

“Use beard balm, moisturisers and oils regularly to help soften the beard cuticle – remember the beard bristles are the most coarse of all! This will also reduce dryness as the beard absorbs the face’s natural sebum which can result in dry and flakey skin… be careful when exposing your beard to harsh environmental conditions.”RELATED: Best Beard Oils For Men To Gain A Fuller, Thicker, Healthier Beard

How To Trim Or Shave Off Your Beard

If you are looking to take a razor to your follicular friend, don’t go in half-arsed.“For the best shave try to steam the face or wash with warm water and massage the skin with your preferred shaving oil,” Shohan instructs.

“The natural steam will open up your pores and make your hair softer. Then apply shaving cream in circular motions to soften the hair before shaving. Avoid washing face with cold water and don’t rush! The key to get a clean shave lies in the preparation, technique and the aftercare. Shave twice using a fresh blade on the second shave. Soften your beard and foam it up.”

“Apply a cold towel to face or wash with cold water directly after [you] shave… it is important to dry your face by patting rather than rubbing it (rubbing could cause irritation). Then use [your] preferred aftershave and moisturiser.”Ready to sculpt your summer beard? Check out our guide to the best beard and stubble trimmers on the market.

Read Next

• ‘Beard Baiting’ Is The Latest Dating Trend Australians Need To Watch Out For

The post The Perfect Summer Beard For Australians, According To Grooming Experts appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Creating a luxury perfume is akin to alchemy – a fine art of mixing and balancing a wide variety of ingredients in order to create a harmonious, appealing, distinct scent.Some ingredients seem to find themselves into colognes that you might not expect or have ever even heard of: tonka bean, sandalwood, grapefruit, ambergris, formaldehyde… Exactly what goes into the world’s most famous fragrances is also a closely-guarded secret, with brands keen to maintain their individuality and market edge in what’s quite a saturated market.But one ingredient that many perfumes use that’s become incredibly prolific is oud. An essential oil distilled from agarwood, a dark resinous wood that’s been used in incenses and perfumes for hundreds of years, oud has a distinctly woody, rich aroma with a spicy smokiness to it – perfect for masculine fragrances. It’s seen a huge resurgence of popularity in the perfume world in recent years, with luxury brands like Tom Ford, Acqua di Parma, Yves Saint Laurent and Creed all offering oud-based colognes, eau de parfums, aftershaves and so on.Part of oud’s allure also comes from its rarity. Like how pearls are formed by oysters as a sort of immune response, agarwood is formed in the heartwood of Aquilaria trees when they become infected with mold or other contaminants. The tree reacts by producing a dark aromatic resin, which impregnates the infected area, forming agarwood. Just as pearls are incredibly rare in nature, so is agarwood – it’s almost down to luck whether or not a tree will produce it, let alone if you can find it.

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A post shared by Maison Francis Kurkdjian (@maisonfranciskurkdjian) on Jun 15, 2020 at 10:07am PDT

But growing demand has made natural oud even rarer, and due to unsustainable production and poaching, all varieties of Aquilaria trees that produce agarwood are now classified as critically endangered, Business Insider reports:

“The global [acquilaria] population has declined by 80% over the last 150 years. Even for those surviving Aquilaria trees, the frequency of natural fungal infection is extremely low. Some estimates say only 2% of wild Aquilaria trees are adequately infected to produce agarwood naturally, meaning the hunt to find natural agarwood is extremely arduous.”

Again, much like how many pearls today come from dedicated pearl farms, there are also plantations where Aquilaria trees are artificially inoculated in order to stimulate agarwood growth. Of course, the ‘real thing’ is still highly prized.There’s an argument to be made that modern perfumery has hit ‘peak oud’ – that mania for the ingredient has not only pushed the trees that make it close to extinction but has pushed it into the realm of cliché when it comes to luxury perfumes.RELATED: Australian Master Perfumer Explains Why All Cheap Colognes Smell SimilarDMARGE spoke exclusively with Francis Kurkdjian, legendary French perfumer, founder of Maison Francis Kurkdjian and the mastermind behind fragrances like Jean Paul Gaultier Le Male, My Burberry, Dior Eau Noire and many more – who related that the supremacy of oud in the luxury perfume world is sure to wane in the coming years.“I think it won’t be as ‘in your face’ as it is now,” he mused.

“I think there was a 10-year door, where there was that rush into creating oud scents. We’ve said a lot about oud, and there’s been great fragrances made with oud, but also a lot of things that shouldn’t have been created. When we discover something new, everyone rushes in… We should give it a bit of time. Maybe in five or ten years time, someone will come up with a new combination; a new accord with oud; something interesting. And in the time being, you can use oud as an ingredient, without creating whole perfumes based on it.

In the meantime, check out our guide to the best colognes and fragrances of 2020.

Read Next

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• ‘Geometric Secret’ To David Beckham’s Perfect Hair, Explained By Professionals

The post Oud Perfume: Luxury Ingredient Is Under Threat appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

The travel industry has been forced into some tricky trikonasanas in 2020. Human ingenuity, however, has flourished too.One California man’s video of a passenger rocking a Hazmat ‘moon suit’ to the airport last week demonstrated this perfectly.Going ‘viral,’ the video was reposted by Instagram account @kookoftheday, summing up a nerve-wracking year in 13 seconds.The high watermark of bizarre innovation for 2020? You decide.

“His clothes definitely won’t be getting Covid, he’s missing gloves though.”

Beyond providing a laugh in these serious times, this ‘moon suit’ may not be as silly as it seems (it’s also not the first time a passenger has been spotted in a Hazmat suit this year).RELATED: Australian Man’s ‘Mortifying’ Business Class Experience Raises Passenger Cap QuestionsWhile airline safety measures reportedly give you a 1/4300 (i.e. exceedingly little) chance of getting Covid-19 on a full 2-hour flight, and while sweating inside a Hazmat suit is uncomfortable at best (claustrophobic at worst), there could be some logic to this passenger’s actions.Why? It’s not just Naomie Campell that takes aviation hygiene seriously these days. Qatar Airways, in fact, has introduced hazmat suits for flight attendants, which are similar to this man’s get up.Of course, much of the reason for Qatar Airways’ introduction of the hazmat suits was reassurance (to provide passengers with the sense the highest precautions are being taken).But also, as Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker said of the change, there is a physical element to it too – however minimal.

“At Qatar Airways, we have introduced these additional safety measures onboard our flights to ensure the continued health and wellbeing of our passengers and cabin crew, and to limit the spread of coronavirus.”

Who’s laughing now?

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• Business Class Passenger Reveals Pandemic ‘Safety Feature’ Cattle Class Is Missing Out On

The post Man's Sneaky Airport Video Captures 2020's Weirdest Travel Habit appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

From Mark Manson’s Subtle Art Of Not Giving A F*ck to Jake Paul’s Eating Cheerios Out Of A Pair Of Jordans, a common complaint among 2020 snobs is that there’s no longer ~substance~ to the cultural works that trap most eyeballs.From Kim Kardashian’s resplendent glutes to the travel bloggers with millions of followers and hectic ‘presets’ which contribute nothing to society beyond teaching their followers how to gain millions of followers and hectic ‘presets,’ it sometimes feels like we’re stuck in a vast, vapid pyramid scheme.Enter: Banksy. One of the few artists who is a household name (despite not having died 400 years ago), the ‘graffiti grandaddy’ is enigmatic, macabre and provocative.Active since the 1990s Banksy’s thought-provoking stencils have brought him global fame.Banksy popped back into newsfeeds recently when news broke his ‘Show Me The Monet’ artwork would go under the hammer at Sotheby’s London as part of their Contemporary Art Evening Auction on October the 21st.In a piece of savage irony, the anti-capitalist painting is expected to fetch between $3.9 million and $6.5 million. But that’s a topic for another time (discussed in more detail here).

 

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A post shared by Banksy (@banksy) on Oct 3, 2019 at 12:28pm PDT

Today’s topic is how Banksy, who is believed to be 46, reached such lofty heights in the first place. In a world where few non-art lovers know any ~creator~ other than long-dead ones (think: Monet, Picasso, Van Gough) how did Banksy break into the public sphere with such a crack?After discussing the irony of his ‘Show Me The Monet’ sale with one of Australia’s leading art dealers, Michael Reid (OAM), DMARGE was made to ask: is Banksy the basic bitch, the top 40 hit, the rosé on a blanket, of the modern art world?Before we get into that, read what Mr. Reid said about the ‘Show Me The Monet’ sale.“For the artworks ‘Show me the Monet’ Jerry Maguire-esk film riff to work, the Banksy needs to sell for a big money wedge,” Mr Reid told DMARGE exclusively.“Selling the artwork for a good amount of money is central to Banksy’s multi-twisting inversion of popular culture, one that kicks received high culture up the ass.”

 

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A post shared by Sotheby’s Institute of Art (@sothebysinstitute) on Sep 19, 2020 at 3:05am PDT

“Picasso said ‘Good artists copy, great artists steal’ and Banksy most certainly thieves with a pirate’s smile. In ‘Show me the Monet’ 2005, Banksy art-jacks Monet’s masterpiece, The Water Lily Pond 1899.”

“Banksy puns the artist’s name; the artworks title; he takes a crack at the artist’s values within the art market and visually populates Monet’s tranquil, verdant, light dappled beauty with contemporary shopping centre trash. In terms of art history, Banksy’s artwork is a compelling multi-vehicle car crash, with limbs scattered across the highway.”

In spite of that, Mr. Reid told DMARGE Banksy is not looked down upon in the art world: “Far from it; the contemporary art world has witnessed an implosion of high & low culture over the last decade and thoroughly embraced and commodified this change. Now every major art museum exhibition in the work, ‘Exits Through The Gift Shop.’”“Yes, Banksy would be in the top 40 contemporary artists worldwide – particularly for art sales at auction. The top, top 40 would be populated by such living contemporary artists as Gerhard Richter, Jasper Johns, Ed Ruscha, Jeff Koons, Ai Weiwei, David Hockney, Yayoi Kusama and Damien Hurst etc,” Mr. Reid added.“As for playing the system, that is an age-old game in any market. Remember, Vincent van Gough’s brother Theo was a most significant art dealer. Without Theo, Vincent would have died a nobody. Vincent for all his talent, had an inside run of a brother who was at the top of his game and promoted him.”Mr. Reid told DMARGE the reason many people only know the names of artists from centuries ago is because modern art institutions pander mostly to a middle aged demographic – “those that will spend to come along and can keep spending when there.”

“So, from the art museums, the young really only see the Greatest Hits of their parent’s childhoods.”

“If the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney undertakes another Andy Warhol exhibition, I will fucking scream. As interesting and important as Andy was, he died in 1987 or 33 years ago. That is a generation and a half ago. Andy is a modern artist. He is not a contemporary artist, but you would never know as the institutions pump out much of the programming based on the middle-aged demographics.”

 

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As for whether the top artists of 2020 will be as famous as Monet and Picasso in 200 years (or whether Instagram quick hits will take over), Mr. Reid said, “More than handful of the artists of NOW will carry over visually to future generations. When historians, and the public look back to us they will do so through the eyes of individuals who told their own story and when that single visual voice is added to a chorus of visual voices, the future will understand the whole.”

“So even as a document of who we were, some artists and their practice will survive into the future – original or not. The question is maybe not whether the artists of NOW are unoriginal, but whether our time is, and they are reflecting us.”

Mr. Reid said the last artist, in his eyes, who broke through the public consciousness and became a household name like Banksy, without piggybacking off the iconography of other artists’ famous works (a la Banksy) is Damien Hirst.

 

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“His shark in a tank or fully known as The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living 1991 came from seemingly no-where and is now considered to be one of (if not the) most important artwork of the 1990s.”There’s your morning bite of culture, served hot.

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The post 'Thieving With A Pirate's Smile': How Banksy Got Famous appeared first on DMARGE Australia.