15 December 17: Wabi-sabi

The other day, after talking about my ‘imperfect’ Christmas tree, I learned about the concept of wabi-sabi (thanks @drmegarroll x). Wabi-sabi (侘寂) is a world view that venerates the imperfect, impermanent and incomplete. It’s about appreciating asymmetry, roughness and simplicity (like a beautifully wonky tree). I now understand why many of the things I spot at car boot sales (like the white objects in three of these pics) make me feel so aesthetically energised. Wabi-sabi also appreciates the amazingness of natural processes and the ingenuity of nature. These shots of pots from above make me think of chemistry lessons and the awesomeness of molecular structure: cubic close-packing, for example, where the molecules huddle, and liquids where the molecules aren’t quite so pally spring to mind. Loving wabi-sabi: how about you?
Martha, The Colour File x