Wabi Sabi Style - Softcover

Crowley, James; Crowley, Sandra

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1586857533 ISBN 13: 9781586857530

Publisher: Gibbs Smith, 2005

Synopsis

Where the art of feng shui leaves off, the art of wabi sabi picks up--through balance and harmony, the perfection of imperfection, and a poetic approach to life. Now in paperback, Wabi Sabi Style reveals the Japanese design elements of wabi and sabi, and illustrates how to implement these principles into every aspect of home, garden and life.
Wabi Sabi Style reveals the sparseness, the minimalism of a rich palette of organic colors and textures, the manipulation of light and space, and the exquisitely stylized representations of nature that embody the essence of Japanese design. Flowing from spring to summer, autumn, and winter, each chapter is steeped in Japanese lore and techniques for incorporating the wabi sabi philosophy into one's own home. Breathtaking photography brings wabi sabi alive, moving beyond the glossy, gilded, and gaudy to a simple organic elegance that emanates tranquility.
James and Sandra Crowley are recognized experts in the field of Japanese antique furnishings, folk art, and tea wares. A lifelong student of Japanese art and culture, James is a graduate of the University of Utah. Sandra is Asian-American and has spent her adult life reclaiming the culture of her ancestors and acquiring a vast knowledge and collection of Asian art. Joseph Putnam blends art and science in his unique photography style. His work has been used in a wide variety of commercial applications and has also been published in Los Angeles Times and Time magazine.

About this title

About the Authors

James and Sandra Crowley are recognized experts in the field of Japanese antique furnishings, folk art, and tea wares. A lifelong student of Japanese art and culture, James is a graduate of the University of Utah. Sandra is Asian-American and has spent her adult life reclaiming the culture of her ancestors, along the way, acquiring a vast knowledge and collection of Asian art

James and Sandra Crowley are recognized experts in the field of Japanese antique furnishings, folk art, and tea wares. A lifelong student of Japanese art and culture, James is a graduate of the University of Utah. Sandra is Asian-American and has spent her adult life reclaiming the culture of her ancestors, along the way, acquiring a vast knowledge and collection of Asian art

Joseph Putnam blends art and science for his unique photography style. His work has been used in a wide variety of commercial applications, and has also been published in Los Angeles Times and Time magazine.

From the Inside Flap

Wabi and sabi are Japanese design elements that raise rusticity to a new level. Lacking the crudeness generally associated with things rustic, they imply an earthiness that is the ultimate in sophistication. They move beyond the glossy, gilded, and gaudy, to a simple organic elegance that emanates tranquility. Wabi Sabi Style reveals the sparseness, the minimalism of a rich palette of organic colors and textures, the manipulation of light and space, and the exquisitely stylized representations of nature in private gardens that embody the essence of Japanese design. Flowing from spring to summer, autumn, and winter, each chapter is steeped in Japanese lore and techniques for incorporating the wabi sabi philosophy into one's own home. Breathtaking photography brings wabi sabi alive, demonstrating the means for creating it everywhere. James and Sandra Crowley are the owners of the Lotus Gallery in Salt Lake City, Utah, where they specialize in Japanese antique furnishings, folk art, and tea wares. A lifelong student of Japanese art and culture, James began collecting Japanese antiques as a boy. A fine artist and accomplished writer, he is a graduate of the University of Utah. Sandra is an Asian American who has spent her adult life reclaiming the culture of her ancestors and acquiring a vast knowledge and collection of Asian art. Her keen sense of style and design assists her in the creation of distinctive and beautiful Asian interiors. The Crowley's combined talents and shared passions for the peoples and cultures of Asia have allowed them to create an innovative design book in the wabi sabi style unlike no other. Modern commercial photographer Joseph Putnam blends art and science for his unique photography style. His remarkable compositions have appeared in advertisements for NuSkin, Micron, and WordPerfect, as well as in the Los Angeles Times and Time magazine.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Many today are drawn to eastern philosophies in their search for inner peace. Similarly, many are drawn to Eastern design because of the sense of harmony and balance that it can impart. Wabi sabi (pronounced wahbee sahbee) is neither just an excuse for another in the long list of trendy design books based on "Asiatica" nor another variation on Zen-inspired minimalist modernism. It is a system of aesthetic judgement rooted in nature's simple system of order that has long stood the test of time. It embodies concepts that are as fresh today as they were a thousand years ago. Technologies may change, but both nature and basic human needs remain constant. The objective in wabi-sabi-inspired design is to achieve the same sense of ordered placement and blance within interior space that is found within nature.
Wabi sabi is sometimes referred to as Japanese rustic design, but the word "rustic" generally implies crudeness and lack of sophistication. Wabi sabi does not imply crudeness but an earthiness that is the ultimate in sophistication. Moving beyond the glossy, gilded, and gaudy--the simple organic elegance of wabi sabi is for those who have no need to prove who they are. Wabis sabi is for those who are at peace with themselves and want to feel the peace of the natural world around them at all times.

Edition details

• Publisher: Gibbs Smith
• Publication date: 2005
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1586857533
• ISBN 13: 9781586857530
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 160