Discuss the Concept of 'Avant Guard' in relation to Graphic Design

The term 'Avant-Gaurde' refers to art, music and politics which is innovative, experimental, progressive and involves new concepts and techniques. It opposes the mainstream creations of the time and challenges the social movement allowing constant historical improvements. In relation to Graphic Design, something which is 'avant-gaurde' can challenge your thinking about a subject, this is best shown through advertisting.

POSTER 1

The shocking juxtaposition of concepts showing a scene at night with body bag in the middle of the road in the shape of the bottle is innovative and challenges the viewers thinking, with a car crashed into a tree in the background. It makes people sit up and think about the comination of drinking and driving, using the pun on the name of 'absolute vodka'. The poster is approching the subject of drink driving from a different angle; instead of saying 'don't drink and drive', they are showing the result and letting the viewer think about the consequences, an innovative, thought provoking way of getting a message across.

This piece of Graphic Design is shown on the road in relation to its material (road tar) to elevate the shock factor which it is trying to portray. The message is personal, it is just text but uses the shock factor of the shear size to make the viewer stop and think about what is being said. It looks at the risks of smoking from a different angle. Normally the public are warned through images and figures, however here you can actually see the size of the impact the damage smokers do to themselves.




I feel that these posters both show elements of innovative ideas of approaching the subject, it challenges the social concepts and movements and are both thought provoking pieces. One uses imagery and text and the other uses text and material. Advertising has to be simple as people do not take much time in looking at them in passing, these are effective and experimental.