Images Through Theory

For the task today I was given the word bricolage. In relation to visual arts the definition of bricolage is " construction or creation from a diverse range of available things." The practice has been used in postmodernism as a way to generate innovative and unique ideas. Constraints are used in most if not all areas of visual arts as a way to create new innovative results and change the way we think about our work. Bricolage can be used as a form of appropriation by using pre existing items with a social or cultural significance. This allows an artist to use the items original meaning to help them add meaning to their own work. Bricolage is linked to a number of the other words we looked at today, some more directly than others. It is linked to parody as it is the methodology that many artists, writers and film makers use to achieve their goals. It is an effective method because it employs pre existing visual signifiers that we all know and recognise as having meaning, the artist does not have to create the meaning themselves. they are the free to parody the meaning knowing that the audience will understand the idea behind it.

The artwork used by the sex pistols for their song god save the queen has become iconic, maybe as iconic as the original images they have used to make it. The eyes being blocked out which looks like methods commonly used to make people anonymous, often people involved in crimes. nothing in this image has been created specially for this but the thought behind the way the images have been put together create a powerful thought provoking image.

In this piece of advertising the bottom poster is only possible as a response to the Apple one above. The paint firm are effectively high jacking the advertising campaign of a much bigger company. Apple is a globally recognised brand associated with quality and innovation, at the very least this advert is funny and so memorable but it may also trigger an unconscious association between the two brands.

There are theories that all the characters in Family Guy are based on other characters from other cartoons that pre date the series. If this is true then the entire cartoon a product of bricolage. The more I read about bricolage the more examples of it I see. I need to research theorists that are interested in bricolage, I think I should start with postmodernist theorists and see where that leads.