Related Resources Japanese Pottery: www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Xu3WymR6oc The Grand Shrine of Ise: www.isejingu.or.jp/en/ Japanese Aesthetics General Information: ntieva.unt.edu//download/teaching/Curr_resources/mutli_culture/Japan/Aesthetics/Japanese%20Aesthetics_Wabi-Sabi_Tea%20Ceremony.pdf plato.stanford.edu/entries/japanese-aesthetics/ This presentation was so cool! I was nervous that it would be boring because it seemed like more of a strictly scholarly lecture than the loose and conversational lectures we have done in the past, but it ended up being pretty interesting. I really liked how I could connect it to what we’re learning in Global right now about Japanese culture; it augmented the austerity and wholesomeness that permeates Japanese society. And, I remember from last year the lecture that Alex Norman gave, in which she talked about her fascination with wabi-sabi. Reflecting on that lecture with my current amount of knowledge makes the message more impactful and concrete.
Honestly, I’ve always found Japanese art to be particularly attractive. Sometimes a little messy—and by messy I mean without the harsh edges and rigidity of some art movements—but soothing to look at. Tranquilizing. And now that I understand the Japanese principles of celebrating the mundane, imperfect, despondent aspects of life, I get why I am drawn to Japanese art: the content is so powerful that it extends beyond the confines of the artwork and captures the viewer’s attention; the stillness is so powerful that it relaxes the mind; the rawness is so powerful that it moves the subconscious to a state of profound silence. (I feel like I am reading way too much into this, but I thoroughly enjoy thinking deeply about these topics. Sometimes making connections that are tenuous seem substantial is the most helpful way to grasp a concept.) I find Tanizaki’s notions particularly thought-provoking, as I understand where he is coming from in his desire for an uncomplicated and subliminally melancholy society. However, I feel like the need for pitch-black ceramics and no electricity is a bit extreme; Confucian principles (Chinese philosophy, but still relevant) teach the significance of balance in life, no matter what the extremes to either side may be. I think that Tanizaki overlooked the fact that the lifestyle he promoted was an extreme aversion to frivolous desires—an extreme nonetheless—in his bemoaning of the decadent extreme that he feared was the result of Western immersion. Basically, I’m super grateful for this experience. I feel better knowing that I was presented with this lecture as a resource for both future Global and Art lessons. I might even consider picking a Japan-related topic for my two-page spread this quarter… maybe something to do with Tanizaki, or traditional versus modern Japanese architecture (which I would obviously narrow down and put into question form). I am looking forward to considering wabi, sabi, and yugen aesthetic principles in future projects.
2 Comments
MM
11/5/2018 05:44:43 am
Good work - This is an EXPERIENCE post, not CONNECT so please make that change. Also, your notes are not needed here (keep them in your SB) - all that should be posted here is your response to the lecture and related resources to support what you learned.
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MM
11/7/2018 07:02:59 am
(Thanks for making those fixes). Things I really liked from your reflection:
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