The concept of avant-garde is a radical and dramatic change from the norm. It is considered a step away from the mainstream art that the audience know, not only does it defy the idea of graphic design it too is at times politically and socially challenging. Avant garde tackles new subject matters, new mediums and approaches to creating graphic design. Avant garde graphic design can also be judged in terms of originality.

"the architecture of patterns" covers designs in progress, June 2009 by David Carsons http://www.davidcarsondesign.com/?dcdc=top/t


An example of a piece avant-garde graphic design is "the architecture of patterns" covers designs in progress, June 2009 by David Carsons. This demonstrates the concept of avant garde well as the typography itself is nearly illegible, which, with the purpose of typography being to communicate a message through the written word, this does not. Therefore showing the challenge of avant garde graphic design to the mainstream graphic design.

El Lissitzky - Chad Gadya (1922)http://burmachronicles.blogspot.com/2011/01/russian-avant-garde-el-lissitzky-1890.html



Another example of avant garde graphic design is that of the Russian artist El Lissitzky. Chad Gadya, like 'beat the whites with the red wedge' this shows a new and controversial piece of graphic design, which to look at now, could be said to have been produced in the past few years, due to the radical modern feel of the piece. Like Carson's this piece of graphic design is illegible, yet symbolic at the same time, getting the message across about communism. This, as a good piece of avant garde graphic design, it shows political and social challenges due to the colours used (Red for communism), furthermore the red circles and triangular shapes are very symbolic of communism at the time.