Perfectly Imperfect - February 2024
This blog explores how Japanese aesthetics have influenced my artistic practice and a little of how they resonate with me personally.
I first became aware of Japanese aesthetics as a student at Newlyn School of Art, when I asked about how we can approach evaluating our own work as artists. Anita Reynolds, one of the tutors said she uses Japanese aesthetics. I was intrigued by what these might be. My research revealed that these are often written about in terms of design. I also found a natural affinity with them because some reflect my earlier life lessons about being kind to myself and having a growth mind-set.
The Japanese aesthetics that I found most helpful were: imperfection (Wabi and Sabi), emptiness/tranquility, subtlety, flamboyance, asymmetry, colour potency, fluidity in brushstrokes, dark-light principle. Each has its own name in Japanese and I’ve found that different writers translate each concept slightly differently. For me this was a good start. I could look at a painting in progress and ask myself ‘is there a quiet area in my painting?’ Do I have both subtlety and flamboyance (different sorts of mark-making) etc. Do I have enough tonal variation. Are my colours harmonious? Are there little surprises for the eye to explore?
Imperfections probably don’t appear in a Rembrandt but don’t we just love it when we can see the signs of the layers in paint or the unexpected effects when we knock back or scratch away a layer of pigment- there are often visual delights or, in the case of an old master something about the artist’s process and the history of the work. Works are objects in themselves not just a view of the world. A year ago; I was painting with oils and in my struggle to make the painting work I scraped back a layer of paint too hard and tore the canvas. I patched the canvas from the back and kept working at the painting- I liked the rest of it too much to abandon it. Now it hangs on the wall at home. Showing it in a mentoring session I said I could never sell the painting because it’s damaged. My mentor disagreed- she liked it and said “The Perfect Sky is Torn” (Yes that’s a line from Natalie Imbruglia’s song…) She was right. The painting has a raw energy and an authenticity about stormy times. The tear was part of the creative process and the repair reflected the paintings resolved state.
The more I read and reflected on my own work and that of other artists it becomes increasingly apparent to me that there is something in the imperfection aesthetic that really resonates. This is the Wabi Sabi. In my life lessons I have come to realise that I am a reformed perfectionist. In my teens and twenties I would feel a failure for not looking like the body perfect at that time, in my thirties I tried to be a perfect mother and one night; very late and in tears with tiredness making a patchwork duvet cover (!!!) for my daughter, my husband whispered to me: “You don’t have to be a perfect mother, just good enough”. It was a defining moment, I realised he had a point and I had the language to challenge myself about what was a reasonable ask of myself.
There of course is more to Wabi Sabi than accepting imperfection. Incidentally imperfection definitely doesn’t mean sloppiness. The more I read about this concept the more I became aware of how much there is to reflect and adopt. It turns out from reading Beth Kempton’s book ‘Wabi Sabi- Japanese Wisdom for a perfectly Imperfect Life’ that the term Wabi Sabi is rarely used in Japan. Beth studied the culture, lived and worked in Japan for several years and as a westerner who has been immersed in the culture, she attempts to say what is often unsaid- because Wabi Sabi permeates peoples environment. In her book she outlines the key concepts; these are: Simplifying and beautifying; living with nature; acceptance and letting go; reframing failure; nurturing relationships; enjoying the journey and cherishing the moments.
In my printmaking I hope these concepts are evident in my simple but very considered compositions, my use of natural shapes and organic forms and textures that capture the essence of a smooth pebble or the grainy texture of linen. I have discovered that the initially accidental movement of a template on the printing plate created lovely tonal effects- a technique I consciously now use. I nurture an absolute joy in celebrating the texture of a torn edge of paper; this is why I recommend float mounting. Each pebble print has become a mindful moment. Those with wide expanses of emptiness have their own visual weight and provide a place where my eyes and body can feel a peace.
I’ve only captured a tiny segment of how Japanese aesthetics resonate and influence me. I’ll return to this subject in future blogs and Instagram posts so If I’ve set you thinking please connect with me or try one of these books.
Wabi Sabi: Japanese Wisdom for a perfectly Imperfect Life. Beth Kempton, Piatcus 2018
The Beauty of Everyday Things. Soetsu Yanagi, Penguin 2018
Japanese Design: An Illustrated Guide to Art, Architecture and Aesthetics in Japan. Patricia J. Graham, Tuttle 2021