Fluent Essays

Before starting your tea bowl assignment, its helpful to understand more about a traditionally Japanese aesthetic Wabi- Sabi,  which is closely linked to cultural traditions around tea -drinking and the creation of tea bowls which mirror this aesthetic. Start by reading the short Richard Martin article on Wabi-Sabi, linked here as a PDF: RichardMartin,wabi-sabi.pdf Next, check out additional images of objects and traditional tea bowls reflecting this aesthetic, linked here as a PDF: wabi-sabiimages.pdf Now, answer the following questions, at least 2 sentences apiece, posted to Canvas: 1. In your own words, describe your current understanding of the wabi-sabi aesthetic. 2. Is this concept something that you find personally interesting or valuable? (There is no right answer to this question!) 3. Does the nature of our busy, cluttered, fast-paced, consumerist, digitally oriented contemporary world make concepts of wabi-sabi more or less important?BY RICHARD MARTIN WABI-SABI IS A BEAUTY OF THINGS IMPERFECT , IMPERMANENT, AND INCOMPLETE. IT IS A BEAUTY OF THINGS MODEST AND HUMBLE. IT IS A BEAUTY OF THINGS UNCONVENTIONAL LEONARD KOREN This article is about looking at the everyday, the commonplace, and finding magic in the ordinary-a reminder that nothing in life, or design, is perfect. It is about appreciating the aesthetic concept of wabi-sabi, finding it or seeing it in things that already exist in the visual world around us-to encourage and develop an intuitive way of seeing that involves becoming aware of the moments that make life rich and paying attention to the simple pleasures that can be over-shadowed by the chaos and excess of our consumerist society. Wtbi-sabi represents a comprehensiveJapanese aesthetic focused on the accept- ance of impermanence or transience. The phrase, meaning an aesthetic sensibility, comes from two of the key Japanese aesthetic concepts: wabi and sabi. Their definitions are difficult to explain or translate precisely in Western terms. The aesthetic is sometimes described as one of beauty that is imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete, accord- ing to Leonard Koren in his book W abi-Sabi: , for A rtists, Designers, Poets & Philosophers. It is a con- cept derived from the Buddhist assertion of the first noble truth: Dukkha, or in Japanese, mujyou (impermanence). According to Koren, wabi-sabi is the most conspicuous and characteristic feature of what we think of as traditional Japanese beauty and it occupies roughly the same position in the Japanese pantheon of aesthetic values as do the Greek ideals of beauty and perfection in the West. The idea of wabi-sabi speaks of a readiness to accept things as they are. This is contrary to Western ideals that emphasize progress and growth as necessary components to daily living. Wabi-sabis fundamental nature is about process, not final product, about decay and aging, not growth. This concept requires the art of slow- ness, a willingness to concentrate on the things that are often overlooked, the imperfections and the marks recording the passing of time. For me, this is the perfect antidote to the invasive, slick, saccharine, corporate style of beauty. Andrew Juniper suggests , If an object or expression can bring about , within us , a sense of serene melancholy and a spiritual longing , then that object could be said to be wabi -sabi. Richard R. Powell summarizes by saying, It (wabi-sabi ) nurtures all that is authentic by acknowledging three simple realities : nothing lasts, nothing is finished, and nothing is perfect. Photo Life November 2007 15 iICHARD MAN I IN The essence of wabi -sabi is that true beauty, whether it comes from an object , architecture, or visual art, doesnt reveal itself until the winds of time have had their say. Rusted metal , for example , has an essence that is lacking in new polished material . Beauty is in the scratches , the worn spots, and the imperfect lines. DEFRichard Martin definitions, from his article “Wabi-Sabi”: Wabi symbolizes rustic beauty and quietness. It also denotes simplicity and stillness and can apply to both man-made and natural objects. It can also refer to quirks and anomalies in things, a unique one-of-a-kind flaw, for example, which sometimes occurs during the process of production or creation. Sabi refers to things whose beauty can come only with age, indicative of natural processes that result in objects that are irregular, unpretentious, and ambiguous. It refers to the patina, such as a very old bronze statue or copper roof turned green. It also incorporates an appreciation of the cycles of life. Traditional tea bowl. Wabi-Sabi represents Japanese aesthetics and a Japanese world view centered on the acceptance of transience and imperfection. The aesthetic is sometimes described as one of beauty that is “imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete. Characteristics of the wabi-sabi aesthetic include asymmetry, roughness or irregularity, simplicity, modesty, intimacy, and appreciation of the integrity of natural objects and processes “The idea of wabi-sabi speaks of a readiness to accept things as they are. This is contrary to Western ideals that emphasize progress And growth as necessary components to daily living. Wabi-sabi’s fundamental nature is about process, not final product, about decay And aging, not growth. This concept requires the art of “slowness”, a willingness to concentrate on the things that are often Overlooked, the imperfections and the marks recording the passing of time. For me, this is the perfect antidote to the invasive, Slick, saccharine, corporate style of beauty.” - Richard Martin In todays Japan, the meaning of wabi-sabi is often condensed to wisdom in natural simplicity. In art books, it is typically defined as flawed beauty. In the Japanese tea ceremony, the pottery items used are often rustic and simple-looking, with shapes that are not quite symmetrical, and colors or textures that appear to emphasize an unrefined or simple style. In fact, it is up to the knowledge and observational ability of the participant to notice the hidden signs of a truly excellent design or glaze. This wabi-sabi aesthetic is further confirmed by the way the color of glazed items is known to change over time as hot water is repeatedly poured into them, and the fact that tea bowls are often deliberately chipped or nicked at the bottom