Trust the Tempura Master
LOS in Italy
While traveling in Asia my tummy and eyes may have eaten too well.
In a small shop in Nishi-Nippori, Tokyo I was treated with the most delicious soba noodles I have ever tasted. As we were leaving, I noted the solid wooden tabletop with cracks that had been mended with large reinforcing pieces of a completely different kind of wood. Perhaps due to the deliciousness of the soba I hadn’t noticed the striking differences as visually posed, but as I departed it was what screamed out.
Defects are normally stamped out in a six-sigma world. If it ain’t perfect, throw it out. Perhaps as you get older, you are more tolerant of how the world presents its failure-s around you. And maybe it is then you can begin to see the beauty of that which could be dismissed as invalid or otherwise handicapped, to emerge as entirely more relevant than if it were 100.000% perfect.
8 Responses to “The Aesthetics of Failure”
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This reminds me of the concept of wabi sabi
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wabi-sabi). It is amazing when one starts seeing beauty in imperfection.
Yes, very much wabi sabi — after I wrote the above, I recognized that I had stated the obvious. Broke the Tenth Law there … oh well
I enjoyed this “obvious revelation” (oxymoron). I wish it were so obvious to modern culture. It is helpful to be reminded of it even for those who acknowledge it as it is very easy to strive only for the perfect.
Hi John, yesterday I listened your conference about your simplicity rules on “Meet the media guru” in Milan, just a thought, simply great. Sometimes people make too many complicated questions I think becouse they haven’t clear in mind netheir what their are asking of.
It agrre with you when you say that’s probably better just listening, observing and taking something from the power of these actions.
I don’t see these difficoults at all, probably becouse as graphic designer are we paid to find a solution not to complicate things?
Hope you’re enyoing your break in Milan
Several years ago, I took a class called The Aesthetics of Failure at the School of the Art Institute in Chicago. It was taught by Matthew Ghoulish. It was one of the most interesting classes I’ve ever taken. Matthew was a great teacher, and I see him around town quite often.
The repair of the table moves it onto another aesthetic. Maybe something as basic as survival. In my studio there are a couple of examples from Africa. A split wooden paddle sowen together with fishing line, a wooden bowl repaired with copper wire. My eyes are often drawn to such objects. They tell a human story.
Milan was nice. Thank you Enza. I think that designers make the world more complex (when we need it) and more simple (when we need it). Creatives are flexible.
Edward, I wish I could meet Prof. Ghoulish. Does he have any lectures visible online?
Your elegant thought on “survival” is appreciated Simon. Objects with a narrative are truly more cherishable.
Regards, John
Yes, you’re right,
I’m in the complex period probably,
but I believe it can become simpler just thinking
at a very good bolognese lasagne course
and every lay-out, brand, logo will change in a basil image.
What can a man ask more?
Enza