(today's post is kind of desarticulated, I wrote as I was thinking, and there may be no logical order or transitions)
Since some of you seemed interested in my thoughts about the book "Wabi-Sabi : for Artists, Designers, Poets & Philosophers" (by Leonard Koren), I'm going to share them here today.
A year or two ago, I had never heard of "wabi-sabi" at all. Then, I vaguely had a sense of what it was, but frankly, it was more than a blurry idea of it. This book (above) is not that expensive (around 10 dollars), and I suppose you could even find it in your local library.
The author writes "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 ..."
I really recommend reading this small book, it's very interesting, and as you will see if you read it, provides a lot of food for thoughts. For me, it's like shaking my whole world, in this sense that I've been raised in that spirit that "everything" must be as perfect as can be. An example, my mom's quite "strict" when it comes to ironing clothes, and my mother-in-law used to be even worse, she even ironed the family's undies. (yes, even socks) No wrinkles allowed, don't you understand ?! And in that same idea, everything in a room is supposed (according to them) to "match", one way or another. May it be the color, or the symetry, there is something so frustratingly conventional, that my parents & inlaws' have been raised through, and have been passing onto us. And believe me, it's hard to shake this off, when you've always been told so.
So, it's a bit hard for me to put words on feelings I've been feeling these days, even more since English is not my maternal language. But let's return to the wabi-sabi concept & idea.
It's almost contradictory with our parents' conception of things. Something mis-matched, broken, wrinkled, not "smooth" looking or feeling, something not conventional (even speaking of clothes), is not something good. Well, hell it is. Or at least, that's how I feel now !
I prefer a weathered wooden door than freshly painted shutters. I prefer an irregular shaped handmade mug than an industrially made (my dream now is to have handmade, pottery or ceramic mugs/cups only, and why not, plates as well - what a dream !). I prefer a handmade, simple, humble cushion cover, than a massmade, big-chain-shop bought & made-in-china one.
I would love to write everything that's in that book, because it really is that interesting. But I respect copyright & will not.
It has made me reflect on what I want to create, and how I want to create it. And believe me, that's kind of putting my world into question. I have less & less interest in all things "perfectly smooth looking", handmade or not. It's not by lack of respect for all the persons who made these; I'm not so pretentious, rude or irrespectful. It's just that I now don't see the point, that's all.
Some of the ideas of wabi-sabi are imperfection, irregularity, humility, "earthiness", and now that's what I would like to incorporate in my creations & how I would like to create in general.
In that perspective, here are my commitments for 2012, concerning my way of creating.
:: I will not buy any fabric for making things for the shop, just like last year
:: I will do my best for using all possible fabric from my stash, even for dyeing
:: I will repurpose as many fabrics & materials as possible
:: I will use my naturally dyed fabrics & threads & fibers
:: I need to be less perfectionist
:: I need to make things with a simpler, more humble & less elaborate "design"
:: I need to hand sew as often as possible, instead of machine sew
:: I need to go back to hand embroidery too, but leaving room to imperfection, flaws & irregularity
:: I need to create more spontaneously
:: I want to use very basic techniques
:: I need to give more thought to price calculating. (tough one, eh ?) Some creations require less material & time spent, they need to be very reasonnably priced. Other creations take more time, and require more precious materials (naturally dyed for instance), these will be given a price that reflect these factors. Specially given that most everything I make (or have been making) are not duplicated & most are "one-of-a-kind" or "unique" (and I'm saying without pretention, don't get me wrong, please)
My "problem" is that I'm "entire". If I want to use natural fibers & fabrics, repurposing other ones ... what should I do with all the fabrics I have been accumulating along the years, and that now don't really fit my aesthetic ?! I already tried to sell them, with no luck. So I will try to make things with them, like braided rugs or stuff like that, but I feel like a bit torn. It's not a big problem, I totally agree, it's a "rich" world's problem, I agree too.
So I guess there'll be things in that spirit ...
Have you already read that book ? What's your thought about wabi-sabi ? I would like to hear what you think ? If you have something to say, or to share, please feel free, don't be shy ! This place is mine AND yours !
oxox
S
