ARTD299 Japanese Aesthetics

The first group of pictures below do not represent wabi-sabi well. The first two are more apt to fall near the hade end of the spectrum. The cherry blossoms, I explicity remember Professor Gunji mentioning in class in reference to hade. The statue, pristine, rich, and made of gold, looks like something that might adorn a place not unlike Nikko Shrine. The last picture of four printed panels does not radiate that sense of transience, imperfection, or impermanence like most wabi sabi "pieces". The bright colors and abstract forms remind me of the iki blinds we saw in class, and that would be where I would place this.

The second set of photos are what I believe best embodied the concept of wabi sabi. Modest, simple, humble, but spiritual in their own right. They aren't embellished or excessive like the previous examples. They just are. And it is in that simplicity, where I get an an overwhelming sense of purity and calm every time I view them.

While searching "wabi sabi suki" for pictures, these three quickly became my favorite. Even if they aren't applied below, I still felt as though they were worth linking to. Tell me what you think:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/eyecatcher/5159813/in/pool-63182186@N00/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/phule/258759490/in/pool-63182186@N00/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tortugadeldesierto/235303358/in/pool-63182186@N00/

posted by cehannon @ 3:46 AM