26th of April 2016
There is nothing wrong in the fact that we admire the Louvre and the Parthenon, Mediterranean villas and Swiss chalets, or inspired by the new architectural forms and objects of the interior of other countries, and show our desire to bring them into our reality. The bad thing is that this does not go beyond stylization of the surface. As a result, when we want to create the interior in the conditional "Japanese style", we simply get wallpaper with Japanese cherries, hand fans on the walls and furniture made of particleboard in the dark colors, instead of creating an image of a house built on philosophy of love for nature, restraint and charm of the imperfection of materials.
The criteria of beauty that the Japanese are guided by in creating their homes, furnishings and household items is quite difficult to percept. The Japanese measure beauty by four concepts, three of which (sabi, wabi, shibui) have their roots in the ancient religion of Shinto, and the fourth (yugen) is inspired by the Buddhist philosophy (Winqvist).
As to the first concept "sabi". Beauty and nature for the Japanese are the concept of similar identity. None that is unnatural can be beautiful. However, the feeling of naturalness can be enhanced by adding special qualities. It is believed that time helps to identify the essence of things. Therefore, the Japanese see the special charm in the tracks of age. They are attracted to the darkened color of an old tree, backward stone in the garden or even traces of many hands touching the edge or frame of the picture (Winqvist). These features are called by the word "sabi", which literally means "rust". Sabi, therefore, is genuine rustiness, archaic imperfection, the charm of antiquity, the stamp of time.
If such an element of beauty as sabi, embodies the link between art and nature, the second word - "wabi" - bridges the art and everyday life. "Wabi" is the absence of something pretentious, catchy, deliberate, that is, in the view of Japanese as something not being vulgar. Wabi is an everyday charm, wise forbearance, the beauty of simplicity. Raising themselves to be content with little, the Japanese find and appreciate the beautiful in everything that surrounds a person in his everyday life, and in every object of everyday life. Not just a painting or a vase, and any household utensils, whether a spatula for picking up rice or a bamboo stand for the kettle can be a work of art and the embodiment of beauty. Practical, utilitarian beauty items that is what the concept "wabi" is associated with. Wabi is an expression of beauty, which is a manifestation of the creative energy that permeates all living and inanimate things. “This is the beauty that the nature itself, and dark and light; and the sad and joyful, and the harsh and tender. The beauty of this natural force is not perfect - always changeable and unattainable” (Durston).
Wabi and sabi are old words. Over time, they began to be used together as one concept - "wabi-sabi". Wabi-sabi is difficult to explain using Western concepts, but the aesthetics sometimes described it as the beauty that is imperfect, fleeting or incomplete. In essence, wabi-sabi is a term describing the peculiar Japanese aesthetic sense, the ability to perceive and fine works of art in its nature, genuineness and without frills (Durston).
Leonard Koren has called wabi-sabi as the most vivid and special feature of the traditional Japanese understanding of beauty; it "considers the whole aesthetic values of the Japanese culture in the same way the Western scholars and theorists analyze the ancient ideals of beauty from Greece and Rome," (Koren). Andrew Juniper claims that "if the object or expression can arouse in us a sense of light melancholy, and spiritual thirst, then we can say that this object is wabi-sabi," (Juniper). Richard Powell sums up by saying: "The true learning of (wabi-sabi) occurs through understanding of the three simple facts: nothing lasts, nothing is finished and nothing is perfect," (Powell).
The simplicity of wabi-sabi can be compared, for example, a serene state of man. The main idea of this direction is minimalism (Koren).
Remove all the excesses, leaving only the essence of the subject (Koren).
Do not allow anything to perfection, from the object should have its own feature (objects of wabi-sabi can be characterized as warm rather than cold) (Powell).
As a rule a limited number of materials is used (Koren).
It is also worth to see that bright, immediately noticeable features are to be less in number. However this does not mean that it is necessary to remove the invisible threads that bind objects into a single meaningful whole," (Koren).
Simplicity and elegance have always been the aesthetic qualities inherent in Japanese culture, and were the most important features of the life of the Japanese since ancient times. Traditional Japanese architecture, for example, seemed simplified because of the emphasis on space, the lack of decorations and calm muted tones. Nevertheless, such a structure was characterized by elegant beauty (Powell). Such properties can be seen in Japanese art and literature: the design of ceramic products are often very unsophisticated and modest colors; structure of Japanese poetry is simple and unpretentious, but they both embody the simplicity and elegant beauty (Juniper).
Inherent in the nature of the Japanese islands constant threat of unforeseen natural disasters has shaped the soul of the people, very sensitive to environmental changes. Buddhism added here its favorite theme of the impermanence of the world. Both these preconditions together led to the Japanese art of chanting variability impermanence. Be happy or sad about the changes that carries with it a while, is inherent in all people. However, to see beauty in the source of the fragile work of art, only the Japanese could have such a refined taste.
Works Cited
Durston, Diane. Wabi sabi: the art of everyday life. North Adams, MA: Storey Pub, 2006. Print.
Juniper, Andrew. Wabi sabi: the Japanese art of impermanence. Boston: Tuttle Pub, 2003. Print.
Koren, Leonard. Wabi-sabi: further thoughts. Point Reyes, CA: Imperfect Publishing, 2015. Print.
Powell, Richard R. Wabi sabi simple: create beauty, value imperfection, live deeply. Avon, MA: Adams Media, 2005. Print.
Winqvist, Agneta N. Wabi sabi timeless wisdom for a stress-free life. New York: Skyhorse Pub, 2012. Print.
