Wabi Sabi

[Faust]

Pared down to its barest essence, wabi-sabi is the Japanese art of finding beauty in imperfection and profundity in nature, of accepting the natural cycle of growth, decay, and death. It's simple, slow, and uncluttered-and it reveres authenticity above all. Wabi-sabi is flea markets, not warehouse stores; aged wood, not Pergo; rice paper, not glass. It celebrates cracks and crevices and all the other marks that time, weather, and loving use leave behind. It reminds us that we are all but transient beings on this planet-that our bodies as well as the material world around us are in the process of returning to the dust from which we came. Through wabi-sabi, we learn to embrace liver spots, rust, and frayed edges, and the march of time they represent.

Tadao Ando

I find this fascinating, and quite relevant to the work of many designers championed on SZ. If you have photos, articles, thoughts, please contribute to this thread.

What are good photo books on wabi-sabi?

[BeauIXI]

To "err" is human, isn't that deviation what makes anything deep and multiplex?

[croatoan]

What are good photo books on wabi-sabi?

Leave your favorite photo collection in the sun for a year, occasionally using it as a coaster.

[SuperTurboTaco]

If you`re interested in wabi-sabi, you should really read the book(essay) "In Praise of Shadow", by Junichiro Tanizaki. It doesn`t focus directly on wabi-sabi, but more on Japanese aesthetics in general and how they differ from the west. And if you`ve got a short attention span no worries, it is only about 70 pages long!

[MJRH]

^Thank you for the essay recommendation.

Also related to wabi sabi is hanami (the cherry blossom festival), which is perhaps one of the more easy-access metaphors for the concept:

Poems were written praising the delicate flowers, which were seen as a metaphor for life itself; beautiful, but lasting for a very short time. This "temporary" view of life is very popular in Japanese culture and is usually considered as an admirable form of existence; for example, in the samurai's principle of life ending when it's still beautiful and strong, instead of slowly getting old and weak. The Heian era poets used to write poems about how much easier things would be in spring without the sakura blossoms, because their existence reminded us that life is very short:

If there were no cherry blossoms in this world
How much more tranquil our hearts would be in spring.

It's a full-bodied idea, though, and I imagine this excerpt doesn't do much justice to it. I'll be reading that essay soon, I hope.

PS. And yes, given the number of times I've had to restitch the buttons on a certain pair of pants I own, this is definitely quite relevant to the work of many designers championed on SZ.

[birdytg]

If you`re interested in wabi-sabi, you should really read the book(essay) "In Praise of Shadow", by Junichiro Tanizaki. It doesn`t focus directly on wabi-sabi, but more on Japanese aesthetics in general and how they differ from the west. And if you`ve got a short attention span no worries, it is only about 70 pages long!

I second that "In Praise of Shadow" is a wonderful book that really worths to be read.
Wabi-sabi is a hard concept to understand for occidentals but it's also true for any of the zen or more generally japanese phylosophical concepts.
It's so detached from our occidental world of artificial consumption!
In this aspect, I can't really agree that Wabi-sabi and alternative fashion have something to do together:
- It's true that many of the championed designers here are japanese and in this way we can not deny that they are born and leave impregnated into this culture. But culture is not philosophy. And modern Japan is sometimes far from the original zen concepts even if it's true that there is always like a sparkle still lightening in any part of japanese life.
- It's also true that many of the japanese designers are often interested into philosophy, sometimes studied it, and it's something that they can try to translate into their design and work.
- BUT never forget that fashion is basically the contrary of Wabi-sabi. Wabi-sabi is a philosophy based on the beauty of the time destruction on nature elements or created object. This is the respect of the marks of ageing but natural ageing.
Fashion is not natural at all and is only kinda artefact.
Fashion can try to approach pure design and simple lines. But in no way brands who sell clothes in the highest standards of price range, and in this aspect in no way can finally be qualified of alternative, can be considered as part of the Wabi-sabi philosophy. Brand new clothes even if hardly worked to look simple, natural and aged are only artefacts.
Whatever could be the pseudo-philosophical speech of the designers around, they are part of the human industry.
They are only looking like and are not authentic and thus, far from the true Wabi-sabi.
Wabi-sabi would extoll simplicity and modesty, the most simple and usual clothes, improved by wear of time. Not new clothes falsely aged by the hand of men to be sold and proudly worn by only those who can afford.

Said that, I now have to agree that alternative fashion is meanwhile closer into its appearence results to the zen concept than traditional high fashion brands because of less ornaments, of more simple lines, minimalist design.
I also agree that's the way we can recognize better ourself in this fashion tendancy but please never forget it doesn't end us as wabi-sabi apostles.
Said that it doesn't make me better!

[Catfood]

Wabi-sabi and In Praise of Shadows are both mentioned in Future Beauty: 30 years of japanese fashion. In fact, there is a chapter in the book titled In Praise of Shadows which mainly features work by Yohji and Rei as examples.

[orphée]

Interesting. I was directed to a page on internet about wabi sabi after reading up on Hussein Chalayan, but I am not familiar enough with his work to say whether he has elements of this world view in his work. What does come to mind, however, is Linea, well at least some of the layered fabric pieces which come apart over the course of time. Still, I do not think this should be seen as a complete one-to-one relationship between wabi sabi and arte povera. The latter seeks to achieve a deliberate effect, while from what I gather from the initial post, wabi sabi describes that which simply 'is' or 'has become'.

[PaintedBlack_7]

I find this fascinating, and quite relevant to the work of many designers championed on SZ. If you have photos, articles, thoughts, please contribute to this thread.

What are good photo books on wabi-sabi?

I believe wabi-sabi, as my uncle explained it to me while i was in japan, celebrates imperfections as they occur in nature or corrosion as it happens in nature (this was explained to me while walking through a Japanese grave site with granite burial sites walking towards my grandfather's site) , i believe most of these designers here use artificially distressed fabrics and leathers to create a deconstructionalist impression. As i interpret it, the clothing here would be in direct conflict with this ideology.

[Shucks]

As i interpret it, the clothing here would be in direct conflict with this ideology.

not really. for instance: a lot of rick for instance deteriorates perfectly naturally (although often quite rapidly ) by itself. and ann's consistency in vision allows the wearer to use garments from the oldest collections in combination with new items, thus encouraging the wearer to let patina and character to develop from use of items. also, many people on sz do not just focus on new items. the classifieds are testament to this, as is the fascination with vintage and quite old collections from certain designers/labels... i think both users and designers in this particular niche often are very conscious of the beauty of natural aging. with some trend-bandwagoneer exceptions of course.

[Faust]

Thanks, all. In praise of shadows has been on my Amazon wish list for a while - don't remember how I came across it, but it wasn't through research on wabi sabi.

I did not mean a direct connection from designers to wabi sabi (although one may think of Hussein Chalayan and Maurizio Altieri burying the garments to age in earth, or of Margiela doing a long outdoor exhibition in Netherlands, where his garments were battered by elements for months), but of drawing an aesthetic inspiration from it.

[zamb]

Any kind of literal cross connection of Wabi Sabi and Arte Povera aesthetics is bound to fail. However one can definitely see the parallels, the references and the respect for such a philosophical concept in the works of the designers.............
i would also like to think that many of these designers do appreciate this concept and by extension live somewhat of a lifestyle that is harmonious with the concept
the aesthetic factor in this equation is something I have been struggling with significantly of late.............
In the strive for simplicity and purity in pursuing minimalism, what role does visual aesthetics play in limiting how minimal you go?

[Lumina]

Thank you very much for posting this. I had come across this concept while making various searches, at the same period I was learning more about Yamamoto and I think the link between the two is very strong.

Of course fashion and the industry the way it is is the total opposite of Wabi Sabi, and even Yohji Yamamoto don't escape that model, but still.
I feel like the essence of his work and what he aims to achieve is deeply connected to the concept of wabi sabi. The way he reinvents traditionnal forms and shapes of japanese costumes, while breaking every rules and conventions, there is still a sense of continuity, a relation to his culture, conscious or not, creating timeless clothes, not ancient, not modern, they just are.
Plus the use of material, raw edges, cut, intentional holes... Indeed they may not have been made by "time", but each piece is unique, and there is a search of wabi sabi, a raw aesthetic.
He said himself that he wants to "design time".
"I've always had a sense of jealousy about vintage clothing, or second hand clothing, or uniforms. They are perfect because time made them change. If I could make a collection to show the passing of time, I would be very happy, because old clothes are always newly designed. Designing time is my dream".
A few other quotes from his A magazine that I think relate to the topic :

"Please don't consume my clothes, they will live with you forever"

"It's a sort of paradox. In the fashion business, things change every half year, whereas in my philosophy it's not like that : you can wear a piece for at least ten, twenty years, without caring about what comes next. So yes, I'm hitting a paradox here".

I like the idea of time making things and people better, traces of time on clothes, items, and people, patina, wrinkles, white hair, wisdom maybe. I think it's a very peaceful idea, like time isn't our ennemy (the opposite of what our occidental society says, time is money, young = beautiful, etc, it's much more scary, I think). Wabi Sabi is really a beautiful concept.

Also, thanks for the advice for the book In praise of Shadows, I love the title.

edit :
Some text about Wabi Sabi I had kept in a file, but I don't remember where it comes from :
"Wabi refers to that which is humble, simple, normal, and healthy, while sabi refers to elegant detachment and the rustic maturity that comes to something as it grows old. It is seen in the quiet loneliness of a garden in which the stones have become covered with moss.The total effect of wabi and sabi is not gloominess or shabbiness, however, but one of peace and tranquillity.
Wabi-sabi is the quintessential Japanese aesthetic. It 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...It is also two separate words, with related but different meanings. "Wabi" is the kind of perfect beauty that is seemingly-paradoxically caused by just the right kind of imperfection, such as an asymmetry in a ceramic bowl which reflects the handmade craftsmanship, as opposed to another bowl which is perfect, but soul-less and machine-made.
"Sabi" is the kind of beauty that can come only with age, such as the patina on a very old bronze statue. "

[AKA*NYC]

paul harnden comes to mind after reading the above

[Enaml]

The cherry blossom festival / samurai example reminded me of a similar concept that might be worth bringing up: 'mono no aware'

Mono no aware (物の哀れ, mono no aware, literally "the pathos of things"), also translated as "an empathy toward things," or "a sensitivity of ephemera," is a Japanese term used to describe the awareness of mujo or the transience of things and a bittersweet sadness (or wistfulness) at their passing. The term was coined in the eighteenth century by the Edo period Japanese cultural scholar Motoori Norinaga, and was originally a concept used in his literary criticism of The Tale of Genji, and later applied to other seminal Japanese works including the Man'yōshū, becoming central to his philosophy of literature, and eventually to Japanese cultural tradition.

I've heard such examples used, in exactly the same way, to describe this.

edit: Their wikipee pages are linked too, go figure.