The ANTIDESIGN

This overused term puts a bad taste in my mouth. Heard at the most random of times, in the most random of places, why is this term still used? The time in history where this term had any usage and any meaning has passed with the turn of the century. Groundbreaking, rule-breaking, artistic boundary shattering artwork of the 20th century was Avant-Garde. Let's move from this personal vendetta to something rooted in reality.

a vant-garde 

–noun

1. the advance group in any field, esp. in the visual, literary, or musical arts, whose works are characterized chiefly by unorthodox and experimental methods.

–adjective

2. of or pertaining to the experimental treatment of artistic, musical, or literary material.

3. belonging to the avant-garde: an avant-garde composer.

4. unorthodox or daring; radical.

Lets take a look at some "Avant-Garde" work of the 21st century. Of course, we don't use this outdated term to describe artists who fit into this category anymore, we use the word guerrilla. Guerrilla artists break laws to get their work out there, although they can tend to in creative ways, the lawbreaking is a consistent trend in guerrilla art. Here we find famous names like Banksy and zevs or group organizations like Retna and Wall Spankers who take the only Avant-Garde risks left to take.

Newfie Bullet

Banksy

Retna

zevs

We have to face that at this point in society there simply aren't any real restriction on artwork anymore. We may be restricted by our job as an artist, but we are free to create in art pretty much anything. Banksy, although a well known and respected artist, continues a rebellious approach to the law in his artistic expression. He is one who smuggled his own work into the most famous museums, MoMA, The Met, The Museum of National History, The Brooklyn Museum, and even the Louvre. Things that bend our perspective, alter our realities, or shock and awe, we find mystery and we are drawn to it. Today, there are few rules to break for artists beyond social expectancies, and property laws. Beyond that you'd have to risk lives or even murder (but we don't consider that art, yet).

If you are confused as to why criminals are getting artistic recognition, don't worry; you're not alone. Lovers of irony, eat your hearts out.