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BSTC2003 Lecture 5 PDF
BSTC2003 Lecture 5 PDF
BSTC2003 Lecture 5 PDF
BSTC 2003
Lecture Date Topic
1 Jan 17 Introduction
Lunar New Year Jan 24 No Class
2 Jan 31 Origin and development of Zen Buddhism
3 Feb 7 The acceptance and development of Zen in Japan
4 Feb 14 Japanese aesthetic values 1
5 Feb 21 Japanese aesthetic values 2
6 Feb 28 Traditional Japanese arts.
Reading Week Mar 7 No Class
7 Mar 14 Influence on arts and literature
8 Mar 21 Influence on architecture and landscaping
9 Mar 28 Zen and design
10 Apr 4 Zen and lifestyle
11 Apr 11 Influence across the globe
12 Apr 18 Zen and contemporary aesthetics
2
§ (1) Short Essay (800-1000 words )– 25 %
§ Suggested topics (Due Mar 13, 2023)
3
§ Due March 13.
§ 800-1000 words (exclude footnotes and bibliography).
§ Examine a traditional Japanese art form in relation to the
aesthetic values influenced by Zen Buddhism.
4
§ 1.Essential concepts, practices and historical background.
§ 2.Aesthetics of Zen:
§ Philosophy and nature of beauty and taste.
§ What is consider beauty? Why pleasing?
§ Set of principles and concepts underlying the works of Zen.
§ 3.Application:
§ Architecture and landscaping;
§ Arts and literature;
§ Spirituality;
§ Design;
§ Lifestyle.
5
§ Lecture 5
§ Japanese aesthetic values.
§ Mono-no-aware (物の哀れ)
§ Wabi-sabi (侘寂)
§ Yūgen (幽玄)
§ Ma (間)
§ Shibui (渋い)
§ Iki (粋)
§ Jo-ha-kyū (序破急)
§ Shu-ha-ri (守破離)
⁞
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Nara Six Buddhist School, Zen (Rinzai school) Rejection of Buddhism
later Shingon & Tendai
ß Zen predominated à
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§ Mono no aware 物の哀れ
§ The “ahh-ness” of things.
§ Focus on the impermanence of things
(Shinto-Buddhist).
§ Wabi sabi 侘び寂び
§ The “rustic” beauty.
§ Focus on non-self, non-attachment,
and imperfection (Zen).
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§ Overlaps with wabi-sabi.
§ Subtly profound grace, and not obvious.
§ Originated from Chinese philosophical
texts.
§ yū (幽 you): “dim”, “deep”, “hidden”, “serene”,
“secret”.
§ gen (玄 xuan): “mysterious”, “inexplicable”.
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§ DT Suzuki.
§ From Zen and Japanese Culture.
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§ Oriental vs Western Values (L4)
§ DT Suzuki suggests:
§ Oriental art depicts spirit,
§ Yūgen: suggests that which is beyond what
can be said.
§ Beauty comes from the contemplation on an
art.
§ Rooms for imagination.
§ Extended beyond the boundary of an art
piece.
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§ Fujiwara no Shunzei (藤原 俊成, 1114 –
1204)
§ also known as Fujiwara no Toshinari and
Shakua (釈阿).
§ A poet, courtier, and Buddhist monk of the
late Heian period.
§ One of the most important waka poets.
§ Influenced by Tang Chinese poetry and
Buddhism.
§ Fujiwara family.
§ Descendants of the imperial family.
14
15
§ Uta-garuta (歌ガルタ, Poetry card)
§ Traditional Japanese card game.
§ Based on the Hyakunin Isshu (百人一首)
yomifuda torifuda
(読札, “reading cards”) (取り札, “grabbing
yononaka yo/ michi koso cards”)
nakere/ omoi iru/ yama yama no oku ni
no oku ni mo/ shika zo mo/ shika zo naku 16
naku naru naru
§ Applies to Noh:
§ Graceful and gentle beauty hidden behind
something.
§ Experience for contemplation:
§ To watch the sun sinks behind a flower clad hill.
§ To wander on in a huge forest without thought of
return.
§ To stand upon the shore and gaze after a boat
that disappears behind distant islands.
§ To contemplate the flight of wild geese seen and
lost among the clouds…” –Zeami Motokiyo
§ In the Buddhist tradition, all things are
considered as either evolving from or
dissolving into nothingness.
§ Reflection on the concept of non-self and
impermanence.
§ This “nothingness” is not empty space. It is
rather a space of potentiality. 17
§ Expressed by contrasting between
light and shadow.
§ A dim-lit room is common in
traditional Japanese design.
§ Different degree of light and
shadow.
§ Shadow is changing.
§ In Praise of Shadows (陰翳礼讃)
Tanizaki Junichiro (⾕崎 潤⼀郎).
18
Objects looks better in dimly lit
environment.
§ Dark lacquerware.
§ Shades of “black” in urushi (漆, lacquer).
§ brings “yūgen”.
§ Tanizaki Junichiro:
§ In a dark Japanese house, the light of a
candle flickering in the darkness
creates light and shadow, revealing the
gloss of lacquerware with a depth and
thickness like that of a swamp. The
beauty of lacquerware is brought out by
shadows.
§ Dim lit places (the path at Koyasan
cemetery).
§ Buddhist statues (Todai-ji).
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§ Yūgen, the art of unknown and
untold.
§ Imagined landscape is richer and
deeper than the one seen with
eyes.
§ When you don’t show all of them,
keeping something mysterious,
you can convey more.
§ Physical partitioning:
§ Architecture hidden by trees.
Ginkaku-ji, Kyoto
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§ Hidden of things.
✗
§ Example: placement of the
water basin (tsukubai 蹲踞).
§ Should be hidden by trees.
21
§ Moodle (Lecture 5
Recommended reading).
§ The interpretation of
yūgen varies.
§ DT Suzuki,
§ Shunzei,
§ Zeami…
§ Evolved through
Japanese cultural
development.
§ A form of Zen… a part of
sabi… a new concept…
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§ Ma (間, lit. "gap", "space", "pause")
§ Empty space, space in between.
§ Emptiness in the Buddhist context.
§ This “nothingness” is not empty space. It
is rather a space of potentiality.
§ Important in aesthetics.
§ The concept of space as a positive entity.
§ As opposed the absence of things.
§ It is “filled with space”, and not empty.
§ Room filled with air.
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§ Appears in many areas of
Japanese arts and culture.
§ Paintings.
§ Chinese paintings (liu bai 留⽩).
§ Noh.
§ Tokonoma 床の間.
§ Ikebana.
§ Object arrangement.
§ Arranging Things: A Rhetoric of
Object Placement by Leonard
Koren.
§ Interior design.
§ Opposed to maximalist design.
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§ Ma is always present.
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§ 2 influential books
§ Hara Kenya (原研哉), art director of Muji.
§ Designing Design
§ The importance of “emptiness” in both the visual
and philosophical traditions of Japan and its
application to design.
§ Numerous illustrated examples from his work.
§ White
§ Japanese aesthetics - symbolizing simplicity and
subtlety.
§ emptiness and the absolute void.
§ emptiness doesn't mean “nothingness”, but will
likely be filled with content in the future.
§ “empty container”
§ Applying emptiness in design.
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§ The using of white colour to represent
emptiness.
§ But not nothingness.
§ This emptiness is a vessel.
§ Emptiness is the ‘possibility yet to be filled’.
§ Always be open, do not be filled with
preconceptions.
§ The company stressed that they are not
minimalist.
§ “Muji products ... are succinct, but they are
not in the minimalist style. That is, they
are like empty vessels. Simplicity and
emptiness yield the ultimate universality,
embracing the feelings and thoughts of all
people”.
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§ Originated during the Edo period (1603-1868)
§ Genroku culture (元禄⽂化).
§ Peaceful Society.
§ Merchants became increasingly wealthy.
§ Trading.
§ The “Middle-class” culture.
30
Emperor
Shogun
Samurai
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§ Chic, stylish. a sophisticated person
§ Originated from the merchant class of the Edo
period.
§ Modification of the Samurai Zen lifestyle.
32
§ Reflections on Japanese taste : the structure of iki
(「いき」の構造) by Kuki Shūzō
§ A consciousness phenomenon, reflects the moral
ideal of Edo culture.
§ The spirit of Edokko (江戸っ子, native citizen of Edo).
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§ The “coquetry” for the opposite sex.
§ A “coquettish” or “seductiveness” to
the opposite sex, forming a sexy and
elegant behaviour.
§ Flirtatiousness with restrained
eroticism.
§ E.g. a woman possessing bitai
(coquetry) was charming but not
lascivious.
§ “Beauty” is formed from
seductiveness, and sexuality is
involved in the process.
§ Embedded in nature?
§ Courtship. Evolutionary process.
§ Notion of beauty is innate.
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§ Ikuji (意気地) is a spirit of defiance or
pride, an opposing attitude of not
satisfying as a whole.
§ The merchant class was considered as the
lowest class.
§ A spirit of a sharp, direct, strong,
determined and uncompromising
attitude.
§ Adapted from the samurai spirit (bushido).
§ Courage, guts and willpower.
§ Considered to be cool and stylish.
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§ Akirame (諦め) resignation.
§ Reflections on Buddhist thoughts.
§ Based on impermanence and
imperfection.
§ The ideal beauty was restrained, not
necessarily perfect, and always pleasant.
§ Stylishness or without pretentiousness.
§ Refrain from obsession, non-attachment
on things.
§ Plain subtle colour, pattern...
§ Could be detailed and expensive.
§ Influencing kimono style nowadays.
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37
§ Edo period Genroku culture.
§ Clothing of chōnin classes.
§ Symbolic of their wealth and taste.
38
✓
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§ Geisha (芸者)
§ geigi (芸妓)
§ Oiren (花魁)
§ “Courtesan”.
§ The Anti-Prostitution Law in 1957,
banned the sexual aspect.
40
okobo & tabi
koma geta
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§ Kyōto-gakuha 京都学派
§ Kuki Shūzō.
42
§ Philosopher and religious scholar.
§ The founder of the Kyoto School of philosophy.
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§ Literally “astringent”.
§ Unripe persimmon (柿の渋, taste sour and
astringent).
§ Simplicity, subtly, modesty, naturalness,
everydayness, imperfection, and silence.
§ Modesty, but filled with excitement (not
plain).
§ Adapted from the concepts authored by
Yanagi Sōetsu (柳宗悦1898–1961).
§ Everydayness.
§ Raises ordinary things to a new height.
§ Eliminate artificial and unnecessary
properties.
§ Found in the crafts, ordinary objects made
for everyday use.
44
§ Shibui is not necessarily rustic.
§ Wabi-sabi objects can be more
severe and sometimes exaggerate
intentional imperfections.
§ Such as using techniques with
Anagama kiln (穴窯 firing method).
§ To an extent that they may appear
to be artificial.
§ Shibui objects are not necessarily
imperfect or asymmetrical,
although they can include these
qualities.
45
§ Everydayness: Zen concept of “the
present moment”.
§ Simplicity with subtle detail.
§ Leave out unnecessary detail.
§ Everyday usage.
§ Concept of mingei (⺠芸).
§ “Folk craft” / “popular art”.
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§ Focuses on the ignored beauty of art and
crafts made by ordinary people that are
practical and used in daily life.
§ A reflection on:
§ “What is art?”
§ Created only by artists?
§ Or by anyone?
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§ Mingei art should be:
§ Mass produced by hand.
§ Hand-made.
§ Utilitarian aspect. (rice bowl)
50
§ Follow the rules.
§ “protect”, “obey”—traditional
wisdom—learning fundamentals and
basic techniques... “the self”.
§ Example: Mathematics.
§ Learn the theory:
§ 1+1=2
§ Pythagoras Theorem
§ Calculus...
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§ Adapt and apply.
§ “detach”, “digress”—breaking with
tradition—detachment from the
illusions of self.
§ Example:
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§ Be the rule.
§ “leave”, “separate”—
transcendence—there are no
techniques or proverbs, all moves
are natural, without clinging to
forms.
§ New discoveries.
§ Example:
§ Albert Einstein
§ E=mc²
53
§ Shu (守) Tang/ Sung style.
§ Tōfū 唐風 “style of Tang”.
§ Li Cheng (李成, 919–967),
Luxuriant Forest among Distant
Peaks (茂林遠岫圖).
§ Ha (破) Traditional Japanese
style.
§ 国風文化 Kokufū bunka
§ Hasegawa Tōhaku (1539–1610),
Pine Trees screen, (松林図 屏風).
§ Ri (離) Contemporary style.
§ Shiraga Kazuo (白髪 一雄, 1924-
2008).
§ Painting with feet.
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§ Shiraga Kazuo ⽩髪 ⼀雄
§ Gutai Art (具体美術)
§ Shu (守)
§ Studied at the Kyoto City Special School
of Painting (now Kyoto City University of
Arts)
§ Ha (破)
§ Had his own painting works exhibited.
§ Ri (離)
§ Painting with feet.
§ Sold for 8,731,400 EUR in 2018.
§ https://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/
2018/art-contemporain-evening-sale-
pf1805/lot.9.html
§ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xCg79GrWaM 55
§ Jo-ha-kyū (序破急)
§ Zeami Motokiyo (世阿弥 元清, 1363-1443,
lecture 3, Kitayama culture, 北山文化).
§ Kinkaku-ji (金閣寺) representative of
Kitayama culture.
§ Ashikaga Yoshimitsu (足利義満, 1358 –
1408 3rd shogun).
§ Fūshikaden 風姿花伝“The Style and the
Flower“. 『花鏡』、『三道』
§ A concept applied to a wide variety of
traditional arts.
§ Noh, tea, martial arts...
§ Beginning, break, rapid.
§ All actions or efforts should begin
slowly, speed up, and then end swiftly.
§ “the natural rhythm of life”
56
§ Zeami suggested that every
phenomenon in the universe progresses
itself through a certain pattern.
§ Even the cry of a bird and the noise of
an insect follow this pattern.
§ This is called Jo, Ha, Kyu.
§ Natural patterns (Japanese)
§ Start slowly.
§ Gradually and smoothly accelerate
towards a very fast peak.
§ After the peak, there is usually a pause
and then a renewal of another cycle.
57
§ Nature:
§ Sapling, blooming, fruiting.
§ Cherry blossoms,
§ Budding, blooming, falling.
§ Apply to life.
§ Youth, aging and death.
§ In a play/drama/story,
§ Introduction.
§ Development.
§ Ending (abruptly and unexpectedly).
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begin slowly........ speed up....................end swiftly
Ja: Concentrate.
Ha: Speed up gradually, and do not rush.
kyū: Shoot without delay (mindful of the present moment).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pT0XczNY9TU 59
§ Lecture 5
§ Japanese aesthetic values.
§ Mono-no-aware (物の哀れ)
§ Wabi-sabi (侘寂)
§ Yūgen (幽玄)
§ Ma (間)
§ Shibui (渋い)
§ Iki (粋)
§ Jo-ha-kyū (序破急)
§ Shu-ha-ri (守破離)
⁞
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§ Seems to be instinctive.
§ I just like it!
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§ Traditional Japanese arts - Geidō (芸道)
§ Chado 茶道
§ Noh 能楽
§ Kodo ⾹道
§ Ikebana 華道
§ Bonsai 盆栽
⁞
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