Day: November 29, 2020

The Lens-Artists Challenge #125: You Pick It

This is an interesting challenge due to Tina’s opening inviting us into the challenge with “This week it’s all up to you – you get to choose your subject and to share whatever it is about it that you find interesting. Personally, I’ve chosen last week’s introduction to the concept of Wabi-Sabi, particularly as it relates to art and photography, as my topic.“

Wabi-Sabi has me intrigued as my initial though was to just bung up a couple of flowers and say I picked these.

But no, I had to go down a bit of a Wabi-Sabi rabbit hole of discovery. This definition was quite good “Although Wabi-sabi can be hard to define, we can translate its simplified meaning to “rustic simplicity” or “understated elegance” with a focus on a less-is-more mentality, while “taking pleasure in the imperfect”.”

When looking for Wabi-Sabi perhaps “Wabi-sabi is a cracked and glued together ceramic bowl (check the concept of kintsugi); a funnily shaped, home-grown tomato; a dinner created from leftovers; falling cherry blossom; a worn wooden hallway and an elbow patch on your favourite jumper. Therefore, it’s an appreciation of all that is simple, modest and imperfect. Yet, loved deeply.”

So where to from here. Want to find out? Let’s have a go at my interpretation of Wabi-Sabi through a photographers eyes

I added this one for a bit of Zen fun

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From the website – https://japanahome.com/journal/wabi-sabi-how-to-embrace-this-ancient-japanese-philosophy-at-home-and-life/

Wabi- sabi and Zen 

Wabi-Sabi’s roots lie in Zen Buddhism, which a Chinese twelfth century monk (Eisai) brought to Japan. Zen stresses austerity, communion with nature, and above all, reverence for everyday life as the real path to enlightenment. To reach enlightenment, Zen monks lived ascetic, often isolated lives, and sat for long periods of concentrated meditation.

In Zen philosophy, there are seven aesthetic principles in achieving Wabi-sabi:

Kanso — simplicity

Fukinsei — asymmetry or irregularity

Shibumi — beauty in the understated

Shizen — naturalness without pretension

Yugen — subtle grace

Datsuzoku — freeness

Seijaku — tranquility

Thanks Tina for taking me to Japan and back for a while