Emphasise an approach not a style.
Jacques Derrida.
Approach to texts that analyses their systems of representation- the systems which frame their communication.
Speech- from inside, primary. Interior, from the soul.
Writing- exterior to the mind, secondary. Absent subject.
Although writing carries your voice forever, maybe this is the more dominant, strong party?
Writing is an obvious copy of speech. Deconstruction changes the obvious.
Derrida tries to deconstruct.
Writing/ typography- communicates. Devices used to frame communication.
Reading Derrida's ideas, also reading the devises (rules of typography).
Text that is separated down the middle, but intended to read straight across from left to right. Questions the conventions and how you read.
You are constantly reminded that you are reading. You make your own meanings of the text- reminds you of normal constructions of the text- making you realise the possibilities of meaning and interpretation.
Structuralism vs post structuralism.
Language and meaning of things can be interpreted by their structure- Semiotics.
Visible language, everything degrades.
Slowly changing structure in academic journal- to make you aware of the structure by deconstruction. Critique in the form that it is using.
Template Gothic- font by Barry Deck. Subtle unstable wobbly lines- looks geometric, but not. Unsettles the reader giving optical illusion. Forces you to think of the meaning of the layout- the graphic designer reappears.
Typography is there to control how you read. Deconstruction is liberating for the reader and is anti authority.
An attempt to show how the construction of text subconsciously effects the way you enterpret meaning.
Monday, 21 February 2011
Monday, 7 February 2011
In approximately 300 words discuss the concept of the 'Avant Garde' in relation to two examples of Graphic Design. Include pictures and full references to the works you are discussing
This ‘Brand Baby’ poster by Adbusters could be seen as Avant Garde because the message isn’t immediately clear. Its intent is also clearly to shock or puzzle the viewer. The way I interpret this image is that the branded world feeds on the teat of society.
To be ‘Avant Garde’ is to be ahead of your time, to challenge current rules and conventions in both the world of fine art and graphic design. Although today, the term has been neutralized almost to the point of becoming meaningless, being loosely used to describe something as different or weird. I am going to attempt to find two examples of Avant Garde within graphic design.
http://www.satyamag.com/may05/lasn.html
You could say that this poster ignores modern conventions of graphic design, as graphic design is supposed to communicate a clear message or promote something, this image however does neither of these things. On the other hand, we are bombarded by images similar to this everyday, attempting to touch on some deep social meaning or issue. The question is, is this image meant to be interpreted or just confuse and arouse questions, thus being Avant Garde.
http://www.distortedesigners.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=89&t=2257
‘Gorgeous isn’t good enough’. This image seems to comment on the need to be physically attractive in today’s society. The reason I chose this book cover as an example of Avant Garde graphic design is more about the image not the written message, which is relatively clear. There seems to be a contrast between image and message. Perhaps the imagery is hinting to surgery with all threads and stitching but personally I have no clue. The fact that I don’t understand this image arouses the question does it make it Avant Garde or bad Graphic Design? Or maybe I’m just part of a society too stupid to understand such strange conventions.
Personally I think you cannot be Avant Garde and a good graphic designer. A graphic designer's sole aim is to communicate a clear message, how can you do this if your audience is too ‘behind’ to understand? To ignore current conventions and rules is to fail as a graphic designer.
Avant-Garde
Avant-Garde emerges out of fine art.
What is art/ what is graphics?
Challenging, innovative, new, progressive.
Today- Avant-Garde is neutralised to the point of being meaningless- used in the terms of being weird, different.
Challenging conventions of what art is.
Anti establishment, anti conventional.
Non conformist.
Mocking the elitism of art, challenging what is art?
'Fauves' Wild Beasts.
Self taught. Self portrait- person confronting you, challenging colours. Aggressive. To shock, reassess conventions.
Content over style.
Experimental, unconventional. Personal creative identity- non conformist character.
Innovation, originality, creative genius.
Their is a hierarchy with art at the top- society values art more than design.
Concepts related to art are good and concepts related to design are perhaps ignored.
Art- taught by other artists, 'influenced' by them, copying them?
Historically art was taught by copying your teacher/ master. More like an apprentice than a student, poses the question, 'when are you your own artist?'
Art is not about originality when you are taught to copy, there is an illusion that you are innovative, different designers and artists.
Working to briefs. Jobs- doing what we're told. Not being creative- us as designers.
Death of Chatterton. The tortured artist.
Outside of society. The tortured poet, no one understands his poetry, cant sell. So Avant-Garde and ahead of society. We killed Chatterton with our closed minds, a martyr to art and our culture.
Art and design was never original, always copied or 'influenced'.
If everyone does it for the love, what do artists live on? Art is just as commercial as design.
To be Avant-Garde you have to be ahead of society, better than them, misunderstood.
Being political, making a change or being better than todays society. Changing the world vs being above the world.
Peasants building a road, why do we find this challenging? What makes art?
Art for art's sake. What artists think they're doing and what is actually being communicated. 'pure'. Independent example of where art/ society is going as opposed to politically pushing the world forward- the world follows the art. Politics over aesthetics?
Art is valued because of its institutional value, the amount of literature on art. Critics inventing reasons why art is important. Art has value because people write about the value of art.
Avant-Garde designers almost dont care about communication. Loses understandability for the sake of experimentation- failing in the purpose of your discipline?
What is Kitsch?
Inferior, lower quality, in bad taste, tacky, has a certain lovability but in a patronising way. Poor imitation of something.
Something that doesn't adhere to taste as you see it. Value judgement- an elitist thing to do, to call something kitsch. Elitist takes into account cultural standards, not personal taste.
Reproducing art tackily on a different medium. Culture/ society says we should only be moved by art, not china, tacky reproductions etc.
We are told what is kitsch. Determined by status, Jeff Koons Michael Jackson sculpture is art and not kitsch just because it's made by a famous artist.
Graphic design is not seen as important because it is not shown in galleries. But if it was the would it be art? not the role of graphic design. graphic design changes when inserted into galleries.
There are more possibilities for graphic design to be Avant-Garde now because people don't go to galleries. Graphic design doesn't try to be elitist.
To be of the Avant-Garde is to be elitist.
What is art/ what is graphics?
Challenging, innovative, new, progressive.
Today- Avant-Garde is neutralised to the point of being meaningless- used in the terms of being weird, different.
Challenging conventions of what art is.
Anti establishment, anti conventional.
Non conformist.
Mocking the elitism of art, challenging what is art?
'Fauves' Wild Beasts.
Self taught. Self portrait- person confronting you, challenging colours. Aggressive. To shock, reassess conventions.
Content over style.
Experimental, unconventional. Personal creative identity- non conformist character.
Innovation, originality, creative genius.
Their is a hierarchy with art at the top- society values art more than design.
Concepts related to art are good and concepts related to design are perhaps ignored.
Art- taught by other artists, 'influenced' by them, copying them?
Historically art was taught by copying your teacher/ master. More like an apprentice than a student, poses the question, 'when are you your own artist?'
Art is not about originality when you are taught to copy, there is an illusion that you are innovative, different designers and artists.
Working to briefs. Jobs- doing what we're told. Not being creative- us as designers.
Death of Chatterton. The tortured artist.
Outside of society. The tortured poet, no one understands his poetry, cant sell. So Avant-Garde and ahead of society. We killed Chatterton with our closed minds, a martyr to art and our culture.
Art and design was never original, always copied or 'influenced'.
If everyone does it for the love, what do artists live on? Art is just as commercial as design.
To be Avant-Garde you have to be ahead of society, better than them, misunderstood.
Being political, making a change or being better than todays society. Changing the world vs being above the world.
Peasants building a road, why do we find this challenging? What makes art?
Art for art's sake. What artists think they're doing and what is actually being communicated. 'pure'. Independent example of where art/ society is going as opposed to politically pushing the world forward- the world follows the art. Politics over aesthetics?
Art is valued because of its institutional value, the amount of literature on art. Critics inventing reasons why art is important. Art has value because people write about the value of art.
Avant-Garde designers almost dont care about communication. Loses understandability for the sake of experimentation- failing in the purpose of your discipline?
What is Kitsch?
Inferior, lower quality, in bad taste, tacky, has a certain lovability but in a patronising way. Poor imitation of something.
Something that doesn't adhere to taste as you see it. Value judgement- an elitist thing to do, to call something kitsch. Elitist takes into account cultural standards, not personal taste.
Reproducing art tackily on a different medium. Culture/ society says we should only be moved by art, not china, tacky reproductions etc.
We are told what is kitsch. Determined by status, Jeff Koons Michael Jackson sculpture is art and not kitsch just because it's made by a famous artist.
Graphic design is not seen as important because it is not shown in galleries. But if it was the would it be art? not the role of graphic design. graphic design changes when inserted into galleries.
There are more possibilities for graphic design to be Avant-Garde now because people don't go to galleries. Graphic design doesn't try to be elitist.
To be of the Avant-Garde is to be elitist.
Tuesday, 1 February 2011
Critical Positions on Advertising
Advertising- The most influential design media in the western world. In 90's estimate there are 11,000 ads every year, and an estimated 25 million different print ads in Britain every year. We cant get away from adverts.
John Berger- We are bombarded by images, promised fantasies, promised better lives which makes us unhappy with our current lives.
Marxism analysed capitalism, nothing specifically about advertising. Karl Marx 1818- 1883.
Ads demand we buy something to gain status in society. Buying clothes etc. for social status e.g. School uniform is a symbol of equality.
'The Stanley range' ad shows just the product, which shows it is sold on its own merit- the virtues of commodities. Commodities- thing that is designed to be sold.
We use commodities to express ourselves, or are we expressing an ideal of ourselves presented to us by the media?
Commodities are shortcuts to knowing who people are, they are a form of communication, we feel artificially closer to some people and further away from others.
Commodities- Idea of lifestyle, Cars and watches. Starbucks- pretending, superficial status. Apple- buying the status not the product.
What we buy is what we are, not our personality or skills etc. People don't measure themselves by what they do for the world but by what they own.
'The Uncle Sam range'- selling the dream with symbolic association, is this a lie?
Making something sexy and desirable- aesthetic innovation- becomes an addiction- addicted to consumption.
Anything that appears newer also creates false need- old products become inferior, companies know this and use it to sell more. They have the technology but produce less to promote the next.
The real nature of products is being hidden and disguised, this makes them seem more desirable.
Fetish- an object that is used to conduct a relationship through- using products, e.g. shoes to relate to people- dehumanises society.
Simplifying people into categories and stereotypes. Forget about the real nature of things- seems more magical.
In the past people (just the rich) used art and culture to show off status, now people use
commodities.
Advertisements also benefits the economy- encourages business growth.
Responsible of subsidising the media quality- creative and innovative graphic design- good at challenging stereotypes- good at perpetuating myths and bad stereotypes.
Ethics of ads are suspect- what can be marketed for children? Subjects- fast food, fizzy drinks... all harmful.
7% of our population owns 84% of our wealth- the ad and capitalism feed on that , the ad makes us poorer and them richer.
John Berger- We are bombarded by images, promised fantasies, promised better lives which makes us unhappy with our current lives.
Marxism analysed capitalism, nothing specifically about advertising. Karl Marx 1818- 1883.
Ads demand we buy something to gain status in society. Buying clothes etc. for social status e.g. School uniform is a symbol of equality.
'The Stanley range' ad shows just the product, which shows it is sold on its own merit- the virtues of commodities. Commodities- thing that is designed to be sold.
We use commodities to express ourselves, or are we expressing an ideal of ourselves presented to us by the media?
Commodities are shortcuts to knowing who people are, they are a form of communication, we feel artificially closer to some people and further away from others.
Commodities- Idea of lifestyle, Cars and watches. Starbucks- pretending, superficial status. Apple- buying the status not the product.
What we buy is what we are, not our personality or skills etc. People don't measure themselves by what they do for the world but by what they own.
'The Uncle Sam range'- selling the dream with symbolic association, is this a lie?
Making something sexy and desirable- aesthetic innovation- becomes an addiction- addicted to consumption.
Anything that appears newer also creates false need- old products become inferior, companies know this and use it to sell more. They have the technology but produce less to promote the next.
The real nature of products is being hidden and disguised, this makes them seem more desirable.
Fetish- an object that is used to conduct a relationship through- using products, e.g. shoes to relate to people- dehumanises society.
Simplifying people into categories and stereotypes. Forget about the real nature of things- seems more magical.
In the past people (just the rich) used art and culture to show off status, now people use
commodities.
Advertisements also benefits the economy- encourages business growth.
Responsible of subsidising the media quality- creative and innovative graphic design- good at challenging stereotypes- good at perpetuating myths and bad stereotypes.
Ethics of ads are suspect- what can be marketed for children? Subjects- fast food, fizzy drinks... all harmful.
7% of our population owns 84% of our wealth- the ad and capitalism feed on that , the ad makes us poorer and them richer.
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