Visual Discourse Analysis (500 words)

The poster created by Dan Stiles for the Arctic Monkeys gig would have been advertising a massive event, as the Arctic Monkeys are currently one of the worlds most popular and well known bands, especially in America where the gig was happening (Lewiston, New York). It is also very current, as it was made in the summer of this year, June 2014. The poster would have not just been created for advertising; gig posters are increasingly becoming more collectable and recognised as valuable pieces of  work, selling on the internet and in shops for up to thousands of pounds depending on the rarity. Fans of the band would have bought this poster as memorabilia, or something to hang on their walls as a piece of art whether they attended the gig or not. I came across this poster via the book and website gigposters.com, a well known library of posters created by Clay Hayes, so it is widely accessible around the world.

The target audience for this poster is very wide, as the popular tour it was created for had seats for thousands of people per gig. It appeals to both male and female viewers of a wide age group, by depicting the silhouette of an attractive lady in psychedelic, sixties looking colours and patterns. The majority of the lyrics within the bands songs are based on women, so the poster is literally visualising what the band is 'about'.  The vintage connotations also link directly to the band, as they currently have taken on a more old fashioned look themselves, and gives the poster a more fashionable edge. This would also help the appeal towards the female audience; the only detail on the silhouette are a pair of vintage sunglasses and pouty lips, looking like the kind of editorial illustration you would find within a fashion magazine. The male audience would be (more obviously) drawn into the bold image of a woman with a sexy figure. The graphic look of the poster enhances this, drawing attention to how she has been designed with an exaggerated hourglass figure; what men historically deem as ideally attractive.

The colours involved within the poster reflect the time of year when it was published; sunny yellows, hot pinks, bright blues and clear greens all hint at the idea of summer. June is the month when you can finally start believing the weather might be getting permanently better, and you can start to celebrate the new season. It is a feel-good poster, probably even drawing in the eyes of passers by who are not fans of the band. It is an image of mass communication about the band; bright, bold and relatable.

Personally, I think the poster has been very well designed, as it does it's job perfectly as a bright and eye catching advert, linking directly and indirectly with the music and look of the band, and the current fashionable themes of 2014. It exists digitally all over the world, and in a series of 130 limited edition screenprints, bringing back the essence of handmade quality for the more passionate fans and collectors (of the band and artist alike). This poster gives you the opportunity to own something that was created especially for one evening of great music, something a lot of people would aspire to have.

http://www.danstiles.com