Avant-Garde.

Avant-garde

In art, avant-garde refers to that which is innovatory; introducing and exploring new forms of design. The term avant-garde is almost synonymous with the modern. 

United Colours of Benetton most certainly produces graphic design which is at the forefront of avant-gardism. As a clothing company they communicate ideas and values in the most visually compelling way possible. The forward-looking nature of their work most certainly brings about the ‘shock factor’. Graphic design is witnessed as part of our everyday lives on a subconscious level, it is only the design that is visually arresting yet intellectually contesting that has the ability to grab the audiences’ attention. United Colours of Benetton entraps this attention through a bold direct manor via the use of their visual ambiguity, as seen with the real hearts in this race discrimination advertisement. It is a company that strives to ‘create “value” by capitalizing on an image’ most definitely adhering to the ‘Evolutionist’ concept of avant-gardism; progressing towards correcting the problems of the world. The reaction to these real-life photos was extreme, with many countries refusing to print the campaign. In eliminating any reference to the product in the design, it has successfully challenged the classic advertising strategies; a fine example of avant-garde.

Cover for the Sex Pistols'"God Save the Queen" single. Jamie Reid, 1977

The avant-garde ideology justifies the role of the artist and the manor in which they may operate. Due to the use of a defaced image of Queen Elizabeth II on this album  artwork for the Sex Pistols, it suggests the music if going to be reckless and experimental as it is the offence of Contempt of the Sovereign to deface an image of royalty.  This was artistic innovation of it’s time, pushing the boundaries and disregarding conventional styles in order to produce a piece of ‘cutting edge’ design to promote their music. It truly ignores the traditional ideals of art becoming a novelty piece of avant-gardism; seeking to be aesthetically innovative not concerned with the politics of the world. 

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Sex Pistols. Discography [online] Available at: http://www.sexpistolsofficial.com/index.php?module=discography&discography_item_id=42&discography_tag=singles 

[Accessed 7 Feb 2011]

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United Colour Of Benneton. UCB advertising presentation [online] (Updated 26 Oct 2009) Available at: http://press.benettongroup.com/ben_en/about/campaigns/history/ [Accessed 7 Feb 2011]