Bricolage vs Counter-Bricolage

Bricolage is the construction or creation of a work from a diverse range of things that happen to be available, or a work created by such a process. It is also when you use things, in such a way, that they are dislocated from their expected or normal use.


Counter Bricolage is the appropriation by mainstream marketers and producers. This takes things and makes them "cool" and is counter to the original intent of the Bricolage strategy.


One of my favorite examples of Bricolage/counter Bricolage is the stage production of Stomp. When Stomp the two members where apart of a street band, where they used everyday objects (trashcans, brooms, etc.) as percussion instruments. While people liked this brand of music it was considered low class street art. I wasn't until one of the members of Stomp directed and financed his first production of Stomp before high class people would see it. Between 1990-present Stomp has been shown around the world.
So in this example the original form of Bricolage was the use of trashcans as musical instruments. This due to the fact that trashcan and broom are used primarily for clean up and trash.
The counter Bricolage is that Stomp was created and turned into a musical with world wide acceptance taking it from street art to becoming urban musical. That made the use of trashcans, newspapers, and brooms cool. Also, other people started to create music with non traditional instruments like trash can lids, static from TVs, etc. Please enjoy this fun example of Stomp the musical: Brooms