MTU Library Catalogue

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Wabi sabi : the Japanese art of impermanence / Andrew Juniper.

By: Juniper, Andrew, 1967-.
Material type: materialTypeLabelBookPublisher: Boston : Tuttle Pub., 2003Description: ix, 165 p. : ill. ; 23 cm.ISBN: 0804834822 (pbk.); 9780804834827 (pbk.).Subject(s): Art, Japanese | Wabi | Sabi | Art and philosophyDDC classification: 701.170952
Contents:
Summary: Wabi sabi describes a traditional Japanese aesthetic sensibility based on an appreciation of the transient beauty of the physical world. It embodies the melancholic appeal of the impermanence of all things - especially the modest, the rustic, the imperfect, and even the decayed. With its focus on the delicate subtleties, objects, effects, and environments of the natural world, wabi sabi promotes an alternative approach to the appreciation of both beauty and life itself. -- Back cover.
Holdings
Item type Current library Call number Copy number Status Barcode
General lending MTU Crawford College of Art and Design Library Lending 701.170952 (Browse shelf(Opens below)) 1 Available 00196154
Total holds: 0

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Developed out of the aesthetic philosophy of cha-no-yu (the tea ceremony) in fifteenth-century Japan, wabi sabi is an aesthetic that finds beauty in things imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete.

Taken from the Japanese words wabi , which translates to less is more, and sabi , which means attentive melancholy, wabi sabi refers to an awareness of the transient nature of earthly things and a corresponding pleasure in the things that bear the mark of this impermanence. As much a state of mind--an awareness of the things around us and an acceptance of our surroundings--as it is a design style, wabi sabi begs us to appreciate the pure beauty of life--a chipped vase, a quiet rainy day, the impermanence of all things. Presenting itself as an alternative to today's fast-paced, mass-produced, neon-lighted world, wabi sabi reminds us to slow down and take comfort in the natural beauty around us.

In addition to presenting the philosophy of wabi-sabi, this book includes how-to design advice--so that a transformation of body, mind, and home can emerge.

Chapters include: History: The Development of Wabi Sabi Culture: Wabi Sabi and the Japanese Character Art: Defining Aesthetics Design: Creating Expressions with Wabi Sabi Materials Spirit: The Universal Spirit of Wabi Sabi

Includes bibliographical references (p. 163-164).

History -- Culture -- Art -- Design -- Spirit.

Wabi sabi describes a traditional Japanese aesthetic sensibility based on an appreciation of the transient beauty of the physical world. It embodies the melancholic appeal of the impermanence of all things - especially the modest, the rustic, the imperfect, and even the decayed. With its focus on the delicate subtleties, objects, effects, and environments of the natural world, wabi sabi promotes an alternative approach to the appreciation of both beauty and life itself. -- Back cover.

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

  • Preface (p. vii)
  • Introduction (p. 1)
  • History
  • The Development of Wabi Sabi (p. 7)
  • Wabi Sabi in the Art of Zen (p. 15)
  • The Tea Ceremony (p. 31)
  • Culture
  • A Leap of Faith (p. 47)
  • Wabi Sabi and the Japanese Character (p. 53)
  • Wabi Sabi--an Art in Transition (p. 59)
  • Art
  • Wabi Sabi in the Japanese Arts (p. 69)
  • Defining Aesthetics (p. 89)
  • Design
  • Design Principles of Wabi Sabi (p. 103)
  • Creating Expressions with Wabi Sabi Materials (p. 121)
  • Spirit
  • The Universal Spirit of Wabi Sabi (p. 145)
  • The Wabi Sabi Environment (p. 149)
  • The Life of Wabizumai (p. 155)
  • Glossary (p. 161)
  • Further Reading (p. 163)
  • Permissions (p. 165)

Author notes provided by Syndetics

Andrew Juniper runs the Wabi Sabi Design Company in the South of England and also translates for UK and Japanese government bodies.