The fridge may seem as if it is just an appliance to keep your stuff cold; but actually in many homes the fridge is the place where domestic acts are played out, displayed and negotiated. The fridge door is a text where multimodal communicative acts take place and is an expression of life in a partcular household.
I am not just talking about the way we leave food stains on the handle, or where milk seeps out and round the rubber seal. I am talkng about magnetic poetry; I am talking about postcards blu-tacked on the sides; I am talking about post-it notes as reminders; and I am talking about the way members of households use fridge doors as boards for creative expression.
The fridge door in my house changes over time; we all seem to contribute to the changes. And the things around and on the fridge seem part of the display….
We improvise around the fridge. The latest addition is the ‘grape text’. I discovered it this morning when I came downstairs to make breakfast; it was the trace of my nocturnal daughter who was clearly in a good mood last night, feeling frivolous, when the rest of us were in bed, wanting to make us laugh while we were up and about in the day and in her absence (when she slept till 2p.m.)
The grape text is surrounded by other people’s jokes, and holiday mementoes. I know we are not alone as there is a flickr group here showing that other people do this stuff too.
THis is B****dy marvellous. Can’t wait to read the paper.
Have posted my Top Tips xxx
Comment by Kate Pahl — December 21, 2006 @ 2:25 pm
that rodeo sticker rocks.
Comment by c-monster — January 16, 2007 @ 9:30 pm
That rodeo sticker is THE BEST THING!!
Comment by DrJoolz — January 16, 2007 @ 9:56 pm