|
bonsaiTALK Master Craftsman
Join Date: Feb-2005
Location: Austin, Texas
Posts: 802
|
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Ralph
There is zen philosophy throughout bonsai. Zen minimalism is found in the design of pots. Compare simple Japanese pots with plain colors to Chinese ones that often have ornate decorations on them. The tokonoma itself is very simple in "zen" in it's design. Look at Japanese forms, and compare them to Chinese penjing. One does not have to be zen budhist, to get the simple relationship of bonsai to nature.
|
Much of this minimalistic, rustic aesthetic developed out of the cult of tea begun by Sen-no-Rikyo. Sen-no-Rikyo was savvy enough to sell an idealized image of the mendicant Zen monk to the upper-class. It was poverty, perfected for the rich. It is Zen by proxy, but not Zen itself. This genius found that there was charm to the simple and rustic lifestyle of these hermits. A crude bowl became an object d'art.
And regarding the tokonoma, it did begin as a Zen shrine in the home. Many of the design considerations that are involved in the creation of a tokonoma display are universal and not unique to Zen at all.
Keep 'em coming!
Cheers,
Jim |