On Sun, 23 Jan 2011 23:12:00 -0800, "Edward Hennessey"
wrote:


"RicodJour" wrote in message
...
On Jan 18, 5:36 pm, "Edward Hennessey"
wrote:
"Swingman" wrote in message
On 1/18/2011 3:50 PM, Edward Hennessey wrote:

The bookshelf would be heck in a saloon/salon.

http://weburbanist.com/2011/01/17/fa...-plywood-mdf-a...

Thanks for the url ... good stuff!

You're welcome. Most of it was avant garde work but the L.A.
restaurant seemed
stylistically near to the Japanese traditional decorative concept of
"shibui", q.v.
"Austere, subdued and restrained are some of the English words that
come closest.
Etymologically, shibui means 'astringent,' and is used to describe a
profound,
unassuming and quiet feeling." (Bernard Leach, A Potter's Book
1940)"
from http://clicks.robertgenn.com/shibui.php .

And I guess if we all had another lodge with no...stuff...we could
do
shibui too.

RDJ:

Excellent link. Thanks! From some other replies it sounds like
that's your web site or that you did some of that work. Is that
correct?

Apologies for the late reply preceded by other obligations.

That was good stuff. Some of it wasn't for me or, perhaps, you but
for what it was the places it was, it was hard to disagree with the
execution. The site is simply one I monitor on occasion.

If anyone is a fan of the unique appeal of found objects or
abandoned places, the home URL is a particular mainstay.

I know the Japanese concept as 'shibumi'.

And you are right about that. "Shibumi" is the noun and "shibui" the
adjective, parallel to similar constructions like "beauty" and
the "beautiful".

And I've heard it roughly
translated as the pursuit of perfection done in a way that makes it
appear effortless.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shibui

Have you checked the Occidental term "Giotto's O"? You will
enjoy that.

It is coincidental that you cited that reference which I looked at a
few
days earlier. Though it had content, as it built up steam, it seemed
to
become steam--or glowing, mystic swamp gas. In fact, I sent it to
someone else accomplished in the area and asked that he consider
a more informative effort.

which leads to
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wabi-sabi
"From an engineering or design point of view, "wabi" may be
interpreted as the imperfect quality of any object, due to inevitable
limitations in design and construction/manufacture especially with
respect to unpredictable or changing usage conditions; then "sabi"
could be interpreted as the aspect of imperfect reliability, or
limited mortality of any object, hence the etymological connection
with the Japanese word sabi, to rust."

This was a more serviceable treatment.

Though you could read yourself into trifocals on the topic,
the Japanese concept of "mono no aware", embracing the "pathos of
things", their mortal imperfection, the observer's empathy toward them
and his sadness at their passing is worth a look. Many hold this
phrase to
be a keystone for understanding the construction of the Japanese world
view.
It certainly informs much of their artistic sensibilities.

"Tokonoma", also often rendered as "tokonoma space", is another
referent in the realm of Japanese "spiritual architecture" you will
find
intriguing if not familiar. Wikipedia has a fair starter on it at:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokonoma

So we've come full circle, and the oak rust never sleeps.

And yin and yang fill that circle by their dynamic interplay,
differing, it seems,
from the sacred Western notion of that circle perfected by the oneness
of itself.

Edward Hennessey

That was a nice jaunt, Edward.

--
"I probably became a libertarian through exposure to tough-minded
professors" James Buchanan, Armen Alchian, Milton Friedman "who
encouraged me to think with my brain instead of my heart. I
learned that you have to evaluate the effects of public policy
as opposed to intentions."
-- Walter E. Williams