Which form of art criticism disassembles old ways of thinking in favor of multiple meanings and interpretations?

• A. Modernism
• B. Deconstruction
• C. Formalism
• D. Semiotics

Answer: (D)

Understanding how meaning is created through signs is the core idea here. Semiotics treats art as a system of signs—images, objects, gestures, colors, and textures—that carry meaning because of the relationships among signs and the cultural codes that organize them. This approach shows that a single artwork can support many readings because meanings shift with context, audience, and the codes in play. By focusing on how signs work within these systems, semiotics invites disassembly of fixed interpretations and opens up multiple possible meanings rather than prescribing one definitive reading. While deconstruction also questions stable meanings, semiotics centers on signs and cultural codes as the mechanism for varied interpretations.