Exercise 5

The objective of this exercise is to choose 3 examples of conceptual design in South Africa and discuss them.

i decided that i would find images on conceptual design and art in south africa and discuss each and their importance in a south africa landscape or sensibility.

The first is Brett Murrays controversial painting aptly titled 'The Spear'

 




This image is about as controversial as it gets - The Spear depicts our current president Jacob Zuma, and of course the most prominent and eye catching part of the painting is his exposed manhood. The African National Congress. The painting is a metaphor for power and greed - The artists was making a statement that censorship is a powerful tool in maintaining control and order. The artist is confront the issue of power and greed corrupting the higher institutions of South Africa, the institutions that should uphold and stand for justice. Once the piece was censored it, it highlighted our gritty past where many South African artworks,articles,etc were censored in order to maintain control and dominance of the black South Africans. The viewer is being made aware of the ever brewing problems that like wounds, are beginning to fester.
Lenin was a Marxist revolutionary who believed in the Socialist movement.





 The title reads : Lenin lived, Lenin lives, Lenin will continue to live. A typical propaganda poster from the Soviet Union it became the basis for Brett Murray's work perhaps hinting at how many similarities the ANC shares with a socialist movement

The 2nd image is from the Save the Rhino: Nothing Will Ever Bring Them Back campaign.

In the Nothing Will Ever Bring Them Back Campaign Save the Rhino seek to address the issue of Rhino poaching and the possible extinction of the species. The slogan, “nothing we do will ever bring them back” makes the audience aware of the cause while the artificial rhino horn being strapped on to other animals emphasises this. The artificial horn also tells the audience that just because another animal has a rhino horn strapped on does not make it a rhino. The idea of rhino protection and preservation is being promoted, calling people to support the Save the Rhino foundation.


The campaign is addressing the issue of rhino poaching and the fact that the white and black rhino are nearing extinction.The idea being promoted is that nothing can replace the rhino once it is extinct - even placing horns on other animals - hence the satirical placement of horns on different animals in the campaign. The viewer is being made aware of the dangers of rhino poaching and the seriousness of the situation - that the rhino is nearing extinction and is endangered. The viewer is being made aware of the fact that the rhino needs to be protected.

The third image is from SANCA: Drinking During Pregnancy Campaign


In this campaign the South African National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence confronts the issues of drinking during pregnancy. They make the viewer aware that drinking while pregnant may not have an immediate affect on newborn babies but will manifest as something worse late in life. In the case of this campaign that is life of crime which many of these children will enter because of the use of alcohol by their mothers while pregnant. The SANCA logo is placed within a sonar picture drawing attention to the issue, the issue is further emphasised with all the main characters in the advertisements lying in environments associated with crime, curled up in the foetal position.



This very graphic and aggressive ad campaign confronts the issue of drinking during pregnancy. The campaing aims to promote the idea that drinking during pregnancy can have very harmful affects on a child long past birth  - drinking during pregnancy can affect the child's life long into adulthood. The viewer is being made aware of the harmful affects of drinking during pregnancy and the repercussions of it


All design aims to convey an idea or concept - however conceptual design is value driven design. The importance of the idea far out weighs the importance of the design piece itself. The effectivesness of the design is directly proportional to the impact of the idea - the more effective the design piece the greater the impact the idea will have on the viewer. Commeercial design aims to sell and idea or product, or the idea relating to a product - Coke will not only quench your thirst but its what cool people drink. Whereas Conceptual design places greater value in the concept and the idea - the idea behind the piece is the message.