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.
The term Avant Garde comes from the french and translates to advancing guard which is a military reference. The Vanguard was a small group of highly skilled soldiers that would set out ahead of the larger army to explore new terrain for the army to follow. This in relation to artwork and design reflects how work that is ahead of its time and cutting edge is opening up new paths for society and other conventional designers to eventually follow.
To be avant garde you have to challenge conventions or what we perceive to be the norm. In society this can often become misconstrued and confusing, ultimately failing to communicate as we cant grasp the nature of the work because it appears unnatural to us. It would be difficult to be avant garde in graphic design as the sole purpose is to communicate and in order to do so effectively you have to be conventional.
This sculpture by Marcel Duchamp is avant garde as it is challenging the conventions of what we consider to be art. He's questioning who gives meaning to art and ultimately pointing out that the surroundings can make it be seen as art but in others it would just be another object or ornament. Duchamp placed this sculpture in an art gallery and signed it with a different name to his own which is his way of undermining the fact that people will accept anything to be art if its in the right location. This act is partly in aggression to the conservative society which seeks to preserve conventions and have minimal changes to the way things are carried out.
This poster by Stefan Sagmeister is considered avant garde because of its unconventional aesthetic and method of delivery to communicate. There is a definite shock value here as the audience would more typically be drawn in through the attractiveness of a poster and then they would focus on the content, here of course its a disturbing and seemingly horrifying process of communication as he has carved information about himself into his own flesh. The majority of his work follows a rule that idea of people being able to read and understand his work is secondary, and focuses more on aesthetic which pushes his work more towards designing for designs sake.
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