Wabi-Sabi: for Artists, Designers, Poets & Philosophers

Media:	Paperback
Author:	Leonard Koren
Publisher:	Stone Bridge Press
Release date:	01 July, 1994
List price:	~~$14.95~~
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Wabi-Sabi: for Artists, Designers, Poets & Philosophers

Average rating: Stars

sad sad sad

The schematization of 'ineffable qualities' into a how to book. I find this deeply essentially offensive - if it were only idiotic I wouldn't care. To take what is probably the most sophisticated and subtle and DIFFICULT mind-unset ever expressed on this planet and reduce it to formulas, slogans and 'decorative schemes'. If you read this book and 'get so much out of it' and 'apply it with marvelous results to your daily life' or 'learn to accept imperfection in myself and others' you will probably not have a clue to what I'm saying.

Wabi-Sabi: for Artists, Designers, Poets & Philosophers - Leonard Koren

On Using This Book in Every-Day Life:

In my office building there is a small room used as a refreshment station. Today, when I was in there, I noticed that the florescent light in a vending machine was flickering -- like they do when they are about to burn out. It's a small detail but in the context of my office it was an existential slap in the face. There, in the midst of symmetrical, beige cubicles and sparkling countertops, I found a flaw. It was almost pretty -- a reminder that the fractal forces of nature had not been fully arrested by my employer.

I stood for almost a full minute watching, half expecting a white-suited maintenance team to rush in and execute emergency repairs. The rows of candy, cookies, and gum danced a little as the light flickered on their perfectly-printed Mylar surfaces. With an empty coffee cup in my hand, I cocked my head to the side and was reminded of the way sunlight plays in tall grass when the wind is blowing.

If you do not already see things like this, Koren's observations may not be useful; but if you do, allow yourself to be absorbed by this book.

Leonard Koren - Wabi-Sabi: for Artists, Designers, Poets & Philosophers

Appreciation vs Creation

I agree with all the good things said about this book; it is a deceptively short, simple book with potent content.

However, I feel something should be mentioned. This is a book primarily about appreciating wabi-sabi (about finding it or seeing it out in the world), not so much about creating it. Koren describes wabi-sabi almost as a result of karma, or at least as a process in which the artist/designer has little impact. You can perhaps record it, but there's very little direct discussion of how to create wabi-sabi objects yourself (other than mention of sweaters made with randomly placed holes).

This certainly doesn't take away from the book or reduce its value to artists and designers (seeing wabi-sabi and appreciating it is key to understanding, which in turn helps you use the concepts in your own work). I just feel the book's title is a bit misleading.

What I would like to see (because I feel it is lacking in this book) is ideas on how artists might cultivate mistakes and accidents. Or take advantage of time and wear-n-tear. Or how artists use becoming/decaying metaphors. Just in general I would like to see more on wabi-sabi as it applies to the creation of things, rather than the appreciation of wabi-sabi in things that already exist.

So this is a great book, but I think there's another great book on this subject that needs to be made.

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