A Yen For Paper

THE GIFT OF ASYMMETRY

Those who know me well would tell you that I have always been drawn to things which are asymmetric. I often choose clothing which is asymmetric in design - no I don't walk around with one trouser leg longer than the other! But I do often sport knitwear which is definitely not symmetrical. Once, during my students days, many moons ago, I even had my hair styled so that it was about 3 inches longer at one side than the other - luckily I'm not showing photographic evidence of that!

I realised a long time ago, that I am probably in the minority of people in the WESTERN world who prefer things which are not symmetrical. For example Di Overton, over at Designers Block recently wrote  "I cannot bear anything that is not symmetrical. I have tried to not straighten the rug in our lounge but it is beyond my capabilities. I change seats in restaurants if a picture isn't straight on the wall" - and I think that this is probably the prevailing point of view.

It was only about five years ago, on reading a back issue of the Kyoto Journal - issue 47 to be exact, that I came across an extremely fascinating article which resulted in one of those Aha! moments, when the penny dropped and I finally understood why I had such a penchant for the unequal, the incomplete, or some would say just plain squint! The article in question was "Asymmetry, Writing and the             Mind, an exploration of creative principles" by Andy Couturier (you  can find more information about the author here).

He explains in the article that "Asymmetrical ambiguity is rich with potential, it allows participation in the process of creation". In other words, when I design a book (such as the one shown above) in a deliberately asymmetrical way, it is so that the piece is open to interpretation, so that it invites the reader/viewer to interact with it, so that it is dynamic  -  provoking the imagination to find new links, the mind to find different patterns, new juxtapositions, new relationships.  And that is why asymmetry is a gift -  its an invitation to play and to expand awareness, it coaxes and encourages us to see things anew each time we look!

Please feel free to comment and tell me whether you prefer symmetry or asymmetry.

WABI-SABI

For a long time now I have been fascinated by Wabi-Sabi. According to Leonard Koren, in his interesting and thought-provoking book - “Wabi-Sabi for Artists, Designers, Poets & Philosophers” it “is the quintessential Japanese aesthetic. It is a beauty of things imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete. It is a beauty of things modest and humble. It is a beauty of things unconventional.....”.

So it would be something handmade or natural, rather than machine-made, it would have an earthy, rustic quality, an irregularity, a warmth to it.  It would be made of natural materials in muted shades, not brightly coloured, and it would invite sensory interaction - you would want to feast your eyes on it and feel the texture of it.

I am very aware, when I notice something that I consider to have wabi-sabi qualities, that it is in the process of becoming, or more often of disappearing - in other words, there is a process of change going on.  I find most often that the item is in the process of returning to nature, by unravelling, weathering, crumbling, rusting etc.

The very fact that I am conscious that it will one day cease to exist, lends it a kind of wistful, poignant beauty. Its transience is an essential part of its charm - as are its imperfections and Amy, over at Less Ordinary, recently wrote a delightful post about Finding Beauty in the Imperfect. Actually, it is the, so-called, flaws which make it even more interesting than it would be otherwise - the worn corners, the cracked and splintered wood, the chipped edges, the weathered marks and the patina of use and age. The driftwood cover of the “Island Bound” book, pictured above, which I made last spring illustrates these points well, I think.

Have you made, or do you own, anything which you love for its wabi-sabi qualities?