Response to Thursday

During Thursday's class discussion there were words brought up that I went back home and looked up, to further my understanding. To help others in the class out as well I would like to post what I read about these particular words.
Kitsch was the first word I looked up. According to Wikipedia, "Kitsch /kɪtʃ/ is a term of German or Yiddish origin that has been used to categorize art that is considered an inferior, tasteless copy of an existing style." It also explained that "because the word was brought into use as a response to a large amount of art in the 19th century where the aesthetic of art work was associated with a sense of exaggerated sentimentality or melodrama, kitsch is most closely associated with art that is sentimental; however, it can be used to refer to any type of art that is deficient for similar reasons—whether it tries to appear sentimental, glamorous, theatrical, or creative, kitsch is said to be a gesture imitative of the superficial appearances of art. It is often said that kitsch relies on merely repeating convention and formula, lacking the sense of creativity and originality displayed in genuine art."
Another word, I do understand but wanted to get a clear definition of was Nostalgia. Wikipedia describes it as a longing for the past in often idealized form. A type of "homesickness" or a form of melancholy.
The last word I wanted to become more acquainted with is Bricolage. This word has a slightly different meaning dependent on what we are talking about, such as music, art, academics, technology, ect. In art, bricolage is a technique where works are constructed from various materials available or on hand, and is seen as a characteristic of postmodern works. In class we described it as a notion of bringing together different things, such as a collage.
In order to have a better understanding of what we go over in class I find it helpful to come home and look up these words we discuss in class. Although we come up with a definition in class, it helps to look it up and find out the background or a clear definition on your own time.