Defining the Avant-Garde

Objectives.

Understand the Avant-Garde 

Question the way art and design education relies on the concept of the Avant-Garde

Understand the related concept of the art for arts sake 

Question the notion of genius 

Consider the political perspectives relating to Avant-Gardism 

Question the validity of the concept Avant-Garde today 

These images are the definition of what authentic Avant-Garde would be, its a way of mocking the elitist of art and showing what you would expect them to be but how they turn out are completely different. This mocks the way that people think about art at the time and what they are wanting to achieve with there strong beliefs, this also challenges the conventions of modern art. 

This image is called 'Derain' from an artist called Matisse. The colours that have been used and the brush textures show how he wants to see art and how to try and change what he is wanting to create in the future designs. This then plays with the way that you can see Avant-Garde, its there to shock and re asses the conventions of which you are expecting.

To be successful in this current modern age you have to be ...

Innovative [always creating new things]

Experimentation [the process which you need to complete to achieve new stuff] 

Originality [to is bad to be original is good]

Creative Genius [to bring out a hidden creative depth help deep within the student]

Back in the old days artists where created in a style which didn't teach them originality. To become an artist you would have to be selected by a guy who named himself the master, you would then have to copy his work and perfect this, this could be from sculptures to paintings, once you have completed this you would then be allowed to start doing the backgrounds for this work and then you could then go into the world an artist of your own, this was a long process which only taught you how to follow the style which has been set for you already which is why when a new style of art work was created it was very controversial and made a drastic change to the ways in which the public viewed it.

This image was created for a famous poet who killed himself by drinking arsenic because no one would purchase his poems back in the day cause no one understood what he was going through and how he wanted to communicate what was going on. He was a very good poet but with him being to advanced for the time that he lived in no one could follow what he was trying to display on paper therefor he took his old life as he struggled to live without the money needed to buy food. 

This image is called 'Stone Breakers' and is created by Gustsave Courbet, he created this to break out of the usual boundaries which are made and this made it a shocking moment in art culture. In the mid to late 1800s paintings were for the wealthy to show of there wealth and riches however in this he has painted common peasants creating a road. this to some people would show a waste of money and time, however he set a trend which was needed to move the era onwards with its art and design. 

This is created to show a light out of the standard way in which art is created. 'Whistler Nocturne in Black and Gold: The Falling Rocket' created in 1875, this is created to stand out from the portrait images which are created in the past. However when this was created the artists believed that what they were doing was communicated well and all made complete sense. however in the eyes of the public it made little sense and created confusion. This was supposed to show Autonomous [independent]  

Jackson Pollock, Lavender Mist [1950] .... supposed to show the human emotion splashed onto a canvas however he was also a classified drunk so it could be a little more difficult to agree with him than a sober person

Stalin believed that work such as the one above created by jackson pollock could not be classified as art as it had no purpose in our modern world and that no one understood what the message was which it was trying to deliver. He believed that all the work should be the same as what he wanted his work to look like. The style where the hair was sweeped back and in uniform. However the more expression ate artists said that this was propaganda and not an expression of how they felt so this could not be the modern art to which they create work. There are arguments on both sides but which to take is completely up to the person themselves.

What is Kitsch?

Poor Imitation of Something.

Something of a Lower Standard or Tacky. 

Something which we give a Valued Guess.

German Background.

This design is very Kitsch, the reason for this is because it doesn't stick to the standard rules and lessons to which we have been taught whilst learning graphic design [or any art based project for that matter]. this doesnt make it bad artwork but it just has a very cheep style of looking at things.

How the plate has the print of the constable on it, is a very accurate example of what Kitsch is, the reason for buying the proper image would be to show wealth and have the original on your wall, whereas you can buy a lot cheaper plate with the print but it doesnt have the same market value, There is a place to have major artwork and the galleries should be the only place to which you can see these sort of things, this is the same with the images below, in most lights anything which trades across from different medias can be classified as Kitsch.'Durer Praying Hands' created as a painting then swapped to a door stop, this shouldnt happen.

 One of the main questions that should be answered is how artwork can be created but not by the artist however they still get the credit for it and are making millions in benefits. The main example that comes to my mind after saying this is the Damien Hurst Dots on a page, this work was created from some of his mates who he give some of the money to them for doing each of them, however there was 247 of then made and each of them sold for a solid sum of six figures each, this is a very high amount of money for someone to make which don't even play a part in the work which is being created. There is no originality for doing this sort of work and he doesnt deserve the money which he will be getting payed for such a heavy amount of tasks. 

The Crystal Gobletby Beatrice Warde Excerpt from a Lecture to the British Typographers’ Guild Imagine that you have before you a flagon of wine. You may choose your own favorite vintage for this imaginary demonstration, so that it be a deep shimmering crimson in color. You have two goblets before you. One is of solid gold, wrought in the most exquisite patterns. The other is of crystal-clear glass, thin as a bubble, and as transparent. Pour and drink; and according to your choice of goblet, I shall know whether or not you are a connoisseur of wine. For if you have no feelings about wine one way or the other, you will want the sensation of drinking the stuff out of a vessel that may have cost thousands of pounds; but if you are a member of that vanishing tribe, the amateurs of fine vintages, you will choose the crystal, because everything about it is calculated to reveal rather than to hide the beautiful thing which it was meant to contain. Bear with me in this long-winded and fragrant metaphor; for you will find that almost all the virtues of the perfect wine-glass have a parallel in typography. There is the long, thin stem that obviates fingerprints on the bowl. Why? Because no cloud must come between your eyes and the fiery hearth of the liquid. Are not the margins on book pages similarly meant to obviate the necessity of fingering the type-pages? Again: The glass is colorless or at the most only faintly tinged in the bowl, because the connoisseur judges wine partly by its color and is impatient of anything that alters it. There are a thousand mannerisms in typography that are as impudent and arbitrary as putting port in tumblers of red or green glass! When a goblet has a base that looks too small for security, it does not matter how cleverly it is weighted; you feel nervous lest it should tip over. There are ways of setting lines of type which may work well enough, and yet keep the reader subconsciously worried by the fear of "doubling" lines, reading three words as one, and so forth. Printing demands a humility of mind, for the lack of which many of the fine arts are even now floundering in self-conscious and maudlin experiments. There is nothing simple or dull in achieving the transparent page. Vulgar ostentation is twice as easy as discipline. When you realise that ugly typography never effaces itself, you will be able to capture beauty as the wise men capture happiness by aiming at something else. The “stunt typographer” learns the fickleness of rich men who hate to read. Not for them are long breaths held over serif and kern, they will not appreciate your splitting of hair-spaces. Nobody (save the other craftsmen) will appreciate half your skill. But you may spend endless years of happy experiment in devising that crystalline goblet which is worthy to hold the vintage of the human mind. TO BE A SUCCESSFUL DESIGNER YOUR WORK SHOULD BE INVISIBLE. ______________  A GOOD DESIGN IS INVISIBLE / BAD DESIGN IS EVERYWHERE.

Essay Cover Sheet and Bibliography

Marty Edwards

(BA) Graphic Design

Year One

Contextual Theoretical Studies

Advertising

Bibliography

John Berger... Ways of Seeing... You tube (4 parts)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmgGT3th_oI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6q0JvXiZw7o&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbebPdXv70w&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAJovNjXMTs&feature=related

Ways of Seeing, John Berger... ISBN 978-0-141-03579-6

Year of publication - 1972

Fig 1 ... http://www.longleaf.net/ggrow/Hate/Envy.html

Fig 2 … http://www.planningnotepad.com/2010/02/culture-jammin-with-dove.html

Fig 3 … http://www.envirofone.com/news/the-future-looks-bright-for-mobile-phones/article.aspx

Fig 4 ... Social Communication in Advertising... Leiss Kline Jhally

Year of Publication - April 2005

Figure 8.1

Fig 5 ... Social Communication in Advertising... Leiss Kline Jhally

Year of Publication - April 2005

Figure 11.11

Essay Spell Checked and Refined

Advertising is an essential part of the world we live in now, we are constantly told what we need and how to improve our lives through the numerous ways publicizing can manipulate us through images and type. The prime reason for Advertisement is to create demand among us, the consumers. Many of us believe what we read and see along the street and were always trying to look superior to everyone around us as we envy anyone who looks or achieves better than us. "Envy is common in a world in which politics has moved towards democracy but then stopped half way, where status is open to everyone but enjoyed by only a few.”

 Fig 1

"Envy" is frequently used in a positive, even assertive way, as if to say, "This is something really good. Don't you wish you had it?"

After reading a lot of critical writings on advertising and publicity, all of which have different views on what should be allowed. This is ranging from the envy (that I discussed above) to attempt to sell a personality, which I will discuss further later in the essay. "Advertising plays on your fear of not being desirable, it suggests that you are not wanted by anybody but to own the product its offering would increase your chances and make you more 'glamorous' as which you would dream." This is a statement from John Berger showing that he can see how advertisement makes you feel inferior and tries to entice you into purchasing what they offer. I believe the same way as videos and advertisements never show a realistic view of what you can achieve, the skin of the models are always flawless (Fig 4, Fig 5) and the fashions change so much that without being rich you would struggle to keep up with the latest trend.

The biggest debate about advertising will always be what will happen on the social aspect of living and how we live our lives. This can be placed into one question "does the mass media have a significant amount of power over its audience, or does the audience have more power than the media?" There have been many compelling arguments and two which have been the most celebrated for there battles against each other would be Theodor Adorno and John Fiske these theorists represent there views against each other in such a compelling way that they have split the views of the public in half instructing you to consider both sides subconsciously. Adorno felt "the power of the mass media over the population was enormous and very damaging" where Fiske best known for his publication 'Understanding Popular Culture' said "Its the audience, not the media which has the most power"

Advertisement shows life through the promise of a better and happier way of living however most of the time this cannot be purchased "Even attitude and a style of living can be advertised even though it cannot be purchased." This being another quote from John Berger from his television series "Ways of Seeing". The ways in which he speaks about what he believes are very much the same as mine therefore making him a useful source. John Berger has strong knowledge of the modern culture and displays this in his documentary. There were large amounts of envy and the publicity trying to control us back in the old days due to the oil paintings which where created, these would be created with the persons best assets in mind, people were painted to try and show what we couldn't afford. These would normally consist of them riding horses in large green pastures, wearing there most expensive garments and holding a gun, for the women it would be perfect skin and floral expensive dresses with a corset to hug the waist and give them the most curvy body which women aspired for. This is still true to day and they image of the oil paintings sets the image of beauty for the people of today. "Paintings are created in the old days and people try to replicate them and echo there own self figure into what they see as perfect and idealistic." A quote from John Berger as he speaks about what I think and believe, the same again from the another section of the documentary which I watched (Ways of Seeing 1972) he clarifies what I have been talking about. "Publicity and oil paintings share the same references and celebrate the same qualities in things and share many of the same ideas all of which relate to you are what you have. Their purpose and effects are very different. The oil paintings are created to show what they person owns and makes the owner appear in the best light with the best objects to which they own." 

  Fig 2

This is from the Viral advert which was created for Dove, its a controversial advert which shows the effect of what women are trying to achieve yet showing it would be impossible to reach due to the end part of the advert being modified using Photoshop to attain that perfect outcome. The quote used at the end confirms this by saying "no wonder our perception of beauty is distorted". This is another successful way to deliver the message to the public as it shows a clear message in a rather shocking way. This truth impact can also raise your trust within a company therefore your achieving more than one objective with this style of advertisement. There are numerous other ways to which you could do this such as banner ads, pop up ads, text messaging advertisements, Viral and online video ads.

Fig 3 

Robin Wright - '118, 188' 'the future's bright the future's orange' This is a very simple advertising design which can be used to draw the attention of the public in, the simple orange square was used before the text was added to get some anticipation asking about it and when the ad was finally complete it all became clear and people remembered this. This was similar to the way that the mentos and the diet coke viral advertisement worked, the way in which they created the massive chain to create a decorative design makes it stick in your mind and this was a viral ad which worked perfectly due to people wanting to try it themselves hence boosting the sales of both products dramatically. 

 Fig 4

This image is a prime example of how the mind can be deceived into what you expect from advertisement. The gentleman is laid next to the ladies, both whom are dressed in expensive clothing and floating on a tranquil lake. “Even attitude and a style of life can be advertised even though it cannot be purchased."  This implies that they are both peaceful and have spare time on there hands. The advertisement is displaying a small bottom of the perfume "Babe" in the top left area. All of this linking together supposedly displays the life that you could have if you were to purchase that perfume. Another perfume advertisement displays a similar style to the above image, however this one plays more on the minds of men. Where the above image shows the women in an elegant dress looking beautiful this plays on the mans mind, This shows him sat by two women, one wearing a maid costume which links to the sexual side of a mans brain and then the half naked jockey women to the right. All of this is situated in a high value room, which again implies that to wear this perfume could get you this lifestyle. We know that to buy this aftershave will not attain everything the image implies, but subconsciously this still makes you have certain envy for something that you do not currently own.

 Fig 5

In conclusion to what I have researched about Advertising and the media, I have developed an understanding of how advertising has developed over the years to alter and change how we see the objects that are offered to us on a day-to-day basis. It has become such a natural thing to us now that we don’t recognized what’s happening in front of our eyes, the subconscious picks them up more unless you are educated in what to look for. During this essay I have shown points of how the media uses advertisement in anyway but direct to control a persons sense of gender and identity. The tactics they have used and put in place to trick your subconscious to worry about style, attractiveness and wealth. These are what our current lifestyles have become a custom to. "Glamour is supposed to be deeper than looks, glamour works through the eye and the mirror." We fall into the obvious traps, which make you appear richer, but you have to spend money that in turn makes you poorer. As John Berger said "advertising is a language of words and images which calls out to us where ever we go"