Conceptual Design

In this post I will be taking three South African examples of conceptual design and discussing them.

The first is:

The infamous painting "The Spear". It created quite a bit of controversy back when it was first revealed to the public. It depicts our South African president Jacob Zuma with his penis very clearly displayed. The painting caused outrage among his supporters while others believed it was like most artworks simply an expression of the artist. It is a metaphor for power, greed and patriarchy. It was eventually defaced with black paint however the image will now forever exist thanks to the internet. (http://alextmgihistory3.blogspot.com/2012/08/south-african-conceptual-image-exercise.html)

The second is:



This was a conceptual piece done for the Save the Rhino campaign under the name Nothing Will Ever Bring Them Back. The message in this image is clear. Simply the zebra is being made to wear a false rhino horn in an attempt to bring back a false image of a rhino. The truth behind this image is that once we loose the rhino nothing will bring them back. (http://historyofgraphicdesigniii.wordpress.com/2013/04/08/south-african-conceptual-design-3/)

The third is:




This was a design created for the South African National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence in order to bring the message that alcoholism during pregnancy can effect the child far into their life and in some cases lead to a life of crime. (http://historyofgraphicdesigniii.wordpress.com/2013/04/08/south-african-conceptual-design-3/)

Personally I like conceptual design over that of commercial because it has a deeper meaning and often helps people to look at something in a different way rather than just attempting to mindlessly sell products and promote brands. There is a depth in it that makes it more of an artistic expression than just an ad campaign.