Banksy
05-01-2007, 10:08 AM
I thought this was an interesting way to look at Art, and possibly life. Enjoy.
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Beautiful Imperfection
All around, no flowers in bloom
Nor maples leaves in glare,
A solitary fisherman’s hut alone
On the twilight shore
Of this autumn eve.
– Fujiwara no Teika (1162-1241)
We love the sad beauty of humble things and reverence the dignity of age-worn things.
The Japanese have a word for this: “Wabi-sabi.”
It is a beauty of things imperfect, impermanent and incomplete.
It is a beauty of things unconventional.
It is a beauty of things unpretentious.
Elusive and uncontrived, Wabi-Sabi is the natural antidote to slick, corporate beauty.
So says Leonard Koren in his small but important book, Wabi-Sabi for Artists, Designers, Poets and Philosophers (http://www.amazon.com/Wabi-Sabi-Artists-Designers-Poets-Philosophers/dp/1880656124/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-2931000-6059367?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1177247900&sr=1-1). I liked it.
Chemistry and Physics in Wabi-Sabi: Although it may at first seem mystical and touchy-feely, the roots of wabi-sabi are deeply anchored in the sciences. From page 57 of Koren's book:
"Wabi-Sabi suggests all the mechanics and dynamics of existence, way beyond what our ordinary senses can perceive... The way rice paper transmits light in a diffuse glow. The manner in which clay cracks as it dries. The color and textural metamorphosis of metal when it tarnishes and rusts. All these represent the physical forces and deep structures that underlie our everyday world."
Here's more of what Koren has to say:
“Things wabi-sabi are appreciated only during direct contact and use. They are never locked away in a museum. They have no need for documentation of provenance.”
“Things wabi-sabi can appear coarse and unrefined. They are usually made from materials not far removed from their original condition and are rich in raw texture. Their craftsmanship may be impossible to discern.”
“Simplicity is at the core of things wabi-sabi. The essence of wabi-sabi is simplicity itself: fetch water, gather firewood, boil the water, prepare tea, serve it to others.”
A comparison between modernism and wabi-sabi.
Modernism - Wabi-Sabi
A logical, rational world-view - An intuitive world-view
Absolute - Relative
Looks for universal, prototypical solutions - Looks for personal, idiosyncratic solutions
Mass-produced/ modular - One-of-a-kind/variable
Expresses faith in progress - There is no progress
Future-oriented - Present-oriented
Believes in the control of nature - Believes in the fundamental uncontrollability of nature
Romanticizes technology - Romanticizes nature
People adapting to machines - People adapting to nature
Geometric organization of form (sharp, precise, hard edges) - Organic organization of form (soft shapes, vague edges)
The box as metaphor (rectilinear, contained) - The bowl as metaphor (free shape, open at top)
Artificial materials - Natural materials
Ostensibly slick - Ostensibly crude
Needs to be well-maintained - Accommodates to degradation and attrition
Is intolerant of ambiguity and contradiction - Is comfortable with ambiguity and contradiction
Everlasting - To every thing there is a season
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Beautiful Imperfection
All around, no flowers in bloom
Nor maples leaves in glare,
A solitary fisherman’s hut alone
On the twilight shore
Of this autumn eve.
– Fujiwara no Teika (1162-1241)
We love the sad beauty of humble things and reverence the dignity of age-worn things.
The Japanese have a word for this: “Wabi-sabi.”
It is a beauty of things imperfect, impermanent and incomplete.
It is a beauty of things unconventional.
It is a beauty of things unpretentious.
Elusive and uncontrived, Wabi-Sabi is the natural antidote to slick, corporate beauty.
So says Leonard Koren in his small but important book, Wabi-Sabi for Artists, Designers, Poets and Philosophers (http://www.amazon.com/Wabi-Sabi-Artists-Designers-Poets-Philosophers/dp/1880656124/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-2931000-6059367?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1177247900&sr=1-1). I liked it.
Chemistry and Physics in Wabi-Sabi: Although it may at first seem mystical and touchy-feely, the roots of wabi-sabi are deeply anchored in the sciences. From page 57 of Koren's book:
"Wabi-Sabi suggests all the mechanics and dynamics of existence, way beyond what our ordinary senses can perceive... The way rice paper transmits light in a diffuse glow. The manner in which clay cracks as it dries. The color and textural metamorphosis of metal when it tarnishes and rusts. All these represent the physical forces and deep structures that underlie our everyday world."
Here's more of what Koren has to say:
“Things wabi-sabi are appreciated only during direct contact and use. They are never locked away in a museum. They have no need for documentation of provenance.”
“Things wabi-sabi can appear coarse and unrefined. They are usually made from materials not far removed from their original condition and are rich in raw texture. Their craftsmanship may be impossible to discern.”
“Simplicity is at the core of things wabi-sabi. The essence of wabi-sabi is simplicity itself: fetch water, gather firewood, boil the water, prepare tea, serve it to others.”
A comparison between modernism and wabi-sabi.
Modernism - Wabi-Sabi
A logical, rational world-view - An intuitive world-view
Absolute - Relative
Looks for universal, prototypical solutions - Looks for personal, idiosyncratic solutions
Mass-produced/ modular - One-of-a-kind/variable
Expresses faith in progress - There is no progress
Future-oriented - Present-oriented
Believes in the control of nature - Believes in the fundamental uncontrollability of nature
Romanticizes technology - Romanticizes nature
People adapting to machines - People adapting to nature
Geometric organization of form (sharp, precise, hard edges) - Organic organization of form (soft shapes, vague edges)
The box as metaphor (rectilinear, contained) - The bowl as metaphor (free shape, open at top)
Artificial materials - Natural materials
Ostensibly slick - Ostensibly crude
Needs to be well-maintained - Accommodates to degradation and attrition
Is intolerant of ambiguity and contradiction - Is comfortable with ambiguity and contradiction
Everlasting - To every thing there is a season