The Beauty of Everyday Things (Penguin Modern Classics)

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He also talks about how Japanese perspective should be valued just like Western one – no need to imitate, but value your own (he put tea ceremony details as an example). Here in this chapter might be something of an interest (chapter V of the text) for Muji-brand fans, at least for me the information was very fascinating. A pattern is the depiction of the fundamental nature of an object, it is what remains of an object's form after all that is unnecessary had been removed.”

Bloom added that “this feels even more perfect now, in 2020,” alluding to the poignancy these lyrics take on as the COVID-19 crisis forces us indoors. What is the link between a light bulb and a ball pen? A soap bar and a knife? They are banal things we all have at home but rarely really behold. That we use every day without wondering about it. Because they are so familiar to us.

Radical and inspiring ... Yanagi's vision puts the connection between heart and hand before the transient and commercial Edmund de Waal When we pay closer attention to objects surrounding us we tend to look barely at their particular shape, their popping color or material. Everyday objects are often looked down upon as common and coarse. Yet, try to open your eyes and see that a mundane, everyday object can contain a whole world.

Soetsu Yanagi (1889 - 1961) was a philosopher, art historian, aesthete and poet. He evolved a theory of why certain objects made by unknown craftsmen were so beautiful, and became the founding father of the Japanese folk crafts ('mingei') movement. He helped establish, and was the first director of, the Japanese Folk Crafts Museum.

For the author, the humble beauty of well made household things is more important than the showy beauty of fine arts, because we encounter it every day. “There is no greater opportunity for appreciating beauty than through its use in our daily lives.” This kind of beauty, and the satisfaction it brings, is accessible to everyone. “Society cannot be proud when a product is available to only a select few” says Yanagi. “Equating the expensive with the beautiful cannot be a point of pride.” In an age of feeble and ugly machine-made things, these essays call for us to deepen and transform our relationship with the objects that surround us. Inspired by the work of the simple, humble craftsmen Yanagi encountered during his lifelong travels through Japan and Korea, they are an earnest defence of modest, honest, handcrafted things - from traditional teacups to jars to cloth and paper. Objects like these exemplify the enduring appeal of simplicity and function: the beauty of everyday things.

Was really great to read before going to MONA museum. Yanagi emphasises the appreciation for unsigned artwork & how knowledge of who the creator of an art piece should come last, taking this approach for a change was again really refreshing & fun. One's assessment of an object must be free and unhampered, with nothing between you and the object. You must look directly at it. To decide that a particular piece must be valuable because it has a particular [artist's signature] seal is weak and demeaning. Your assessment only gains meaning when you look at the object directly, free and unfettered.” For Yanagi, that meant the handmade artefacts and craft traditions that were disappearing as Japan industrialised. What it means for us in the 21st century is up to us to decide, according to our own tastes and preferences. Save up for quality kitchenware, well made furniture and timeless fashions. Choose fewer and better made things. Find objects you like and keep them forever. Write with a good pen on quality stationery. After all, “quality is how the heart and soul of a civilization should be measured”, says Yanagi. “How can bad paper and high civilization possibly be bedmates?” These are themes that were explored in The New Materialism project, or in practical detail in Tara Button’s book A Life Less Throwaway.Asian art represents a latent treasure trove of immense and wide-reaching value for the future and that is precisely because it presents a sharp contrast to Western art. The art of empty space seen in the Nanga school of monochrome painting and the abstract, free-flowing art of calligraphy have already begun to exert considerable influence on the West. It may be cheap, but it should also be sturdy. What must be avoided at all costs is dishonest, distorted and ornate work. What must be sought is the natural, direct, simple, sturdy and safe.

The daily lives of ordinary people are replete with objects, common things used in commonplace settings. These objects are our constant companions in life. As such, writes Soetsu Yanagi, they should be made with care and built to last, treated with respect and even affection. They should be natural and simple, sturdy and safe – the aesthetic result of wholeheartedly fulfilling utilitarian needs. They should, in short, be things of beauty.In an age of feeble and ugly machine-made things, these essays call for us to deepen and transform our relationship with the objects that surround us. Inspired by the work of the simple, humble craftsmen Yanagi encountered during his lifelong travels through Japan and Korea, they are an earnest defence of modest, honest, handcrafted things – from traditional teacups to jars to cloth and paper. Objects like these exemplify the enduring appeal of simplicity and the beauty of everyday things. The Beauty of Everyday Things by Soetsu Yanagi – eBook Details Users and the used have exchanged a vow: the more an object is used the more beautiful it will become and the more the user uses an object, the more the object will be used. There are some interesting bits here, if you're interested in Japanese art (my main goal), but if you're after ruminations on the beauty of everyday things, there's really only three essays here that do what the book promises: What is folk Craft?, The Beauty of Miscellaneous Things, and Seeing and Knowing. Of these, the last is the most interesting, and most quotable. e.g.: Muhas had a profound influence on the arts, from Noh drama to Kabuki as well as multiple aesthetic concepts such as Wabi, Sabi, Mujiand Shibumi. Muji(no ground) gave rise to unglazed ceramics left unadorned with deliberately rough textures and subtle imperfections, seeking to embody virtues of humility and simplicity whilst also pointing to the Transcendent.Soetsu Yanagi’s unerring eye has influenced generations of makers. His notion of Zen and the art of design continues to inspire all those involved in shaping our everyday world.” —Jasper Morrison, British designer I liked Soetsu Yanagi's voice. I can imagine him wandering all over the Japanese and Korean countryside in his quest to find beauty. A beautiful insight into Japanese philosophy as well as the Soetsu Yanagi's take on political events between Japan and Korea. At times he is repetitive, but I sort of like that about him. It shows obsession, and I think that is one of his most inspirational aspects, his obsession with raw beauty and Zen philosophy. The daily lives of ordinary people are replete with objects, common things used in commonplace settings. These objects are our constant companions in life. As such, writes Soetsu Yanagi, they should be made with care and built to last, treated with respect and even affection. They should be natural and simple, sturdy and safe – the aesthetic result of wholeheartedly fulfilling utilitarian needs. They should, in short, be things of beauty. Today, the perception of beauty often relies on an object being made by someone famous or having a high price tag. But an object should not be beautiful because it embodies perfection or is particularly artful. It should be designed for its purpose rather than to look really good. It should be natural and simple. Sturdy and safe – it should stand the test of reality. There was one letter included at the very end of the book as : A letter to a Korean friend that was meant to be published in the newspaper criticizing the annexation of Korea by Japan, and in it the author highlights the artistic and religious bridges between the two countries.