A beauty of things imperfect, impermanent and incomplete
Posted on 6th of November 2010I’ve been reading a bit about a certain kind of japanese philosophy called “wabi-sabi”, which is a japanese world-view and aesthetic. The list, which contrasts wabi-sabiwith modernism, is from Koren’s book, which contains many beautiful pictures of objects that embody the wabi-sabi philosophy. There seems to an inherit satisfaction in thinking about these juxtapositions for me. Perhaps favoring neither, but seeing the validity of each of the opposing stances.
| Modernism | Wabi-sabi |
|---|---|
| Primarily expressed in the public domain | Primarily expressed in the public domain |
| Implies a logical, rational worldview | Implies an intuitive worldview |
| 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, definite shapes and edges) | Organic organization of form (soft, vague shapes and edges) |
| The box as a metaphor (rectilinear, precise, contained) | The bowl as a metaphor (free shape, open at top) |
| Manmade materials | Natural materials |
| Ostensibly slick | Ostensibly crude |
| Needs to be well-maintained | Accommodates to degradation and attrition |
| Purity make its expression richer | Corrosion and contamination make its expression richer |
| Solicits the reduction of sensory information | Solicits the expansion of sensory information |
| Is intolerant of ambiguity and contradiction | Is comfortable with ambiguity and contradiction |
| Cool | Warm |
| Function and utility are primary values | Function and utility are not so important |
| Perfect materiality is an ideal | Perfect immateriality is an ideal |
| Everlasting | To every thing there is a season |
What’s so fascinating about these two philosophies and aesthetics is how they contrast so sharply, and yet share so many conceptual similarities. As Koren puts it in his book:
- Both apply to all manner of manmade objects, spaces and designs.
- Both are strong reactions against the dominant, established sensibilities of their time. Modernism was a radical depature from 19th-century classicism and eclecticsism. Wabi-sabi was a radical depature from the Chinese perfection and gorgeousness of the 16th-century and earlier.
- Both eschew any decoration that is not integral to structure.
- Both are abstract, nonrepresentational ideasl of beauty.
- Both have readily identifiable surface characteristics. Modernism is seamless, polished, and smooth. Wabi-sabi is earthy, impefect, and variegated.
Wabi-sabi being summed up as the beauty of things imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete. Is is a beauty of things modest and humble.
Tags: aesthetics, philosophy