Essay On Bricolages

No place better exemplifies bricolages than a shared, college bedroom. Bricolages are “compositions designed by combining pre-existing designs” which “express their creator’s identity and worldview, consciously or unconsciously” (Huhtamo, Meeting 1, 20). Bricolages are analyzed through semiotics, the analysis of culture through interpretations of signs (Huhtamo, “Basic Concepts” 257). College is where many first experience living with people who are not family. In a shared bedroom, styles and tastes that reflect the various backgrounds and experiences of the occupants come together. Such a room is a bricolage on many levels, beginning with the pre-existing room design through the melding of different people’s styles, and the arrangement of each individual’s space. The bricolage created by my bedroom in my UCLA apartment communicates the harmonious melding of different personalities aimed …show more content…
As seen in Figure 2, the calendar consists of two pieces of paper which I taped to the wall next to my desk. As an object, it can be interpreted as an icon, in accordance with Peirce’s categories, which defines an icon as a sign that “resembles its conceptual object in certain ways”, duplicating this properties and principles (Huhtamo, “Basic Concepts” 258). It acts as an icon representing days of the month and time passing, both of which are concepts rather than physical objects. It shows how the days are organized and how I have planned my studying from day to day leading up to my test date. Beyond the physical meaning, it also sends many distinct messages through the idea of Barthes of denotation and connotation. It sends a message of organization of my days as a first-order signifying system, or the literal meaning (Huhtamo, “Basic Concepts” 259). As a secondary message, it communicates how busy I am to my roommates and reinforces the idea of a diligent