Feng Shui is getting a lot of fanfare these days, but it’s nothing new. Pronounced “Fung Schway,” (in the Mandarin dialect of Chinese; differs for Cantonese but the characters are the same) it translates as “wind water.” This ancient art is said to bring creativity, prosperity, good health and better relationships, with the correct positioning of objects and furniture.
I can respect the concept and principles, although I am not an advocate for both religious and personal reasons. If you’d like to get some more advice on the subject, Active Rain has many members who are consultants and even a group.
As for me, I can relate far better with the Japanese wabi-sabi. It roughly translates to impermanence and rust, and deals with the beauty in life's limitations. It's organic, irregular and humble.
“Wabi means austerity of design without severity, and sabi refers to an object’s patina, or broken-in quality…wabi sabi reveres objects for their irregularities, simplicity, and lack of pretension.”1
Think of it as trip to an independent art gallery in Austin (wabi sabi) versus a trip to the Louvre in Paris (feng shui). Both are incredible experiences, although very different.
"Pared down to its barest essence, wabi-sabi is the Japanese art of finding beauty in imperfection and profundity in nature, of accepting the natural cycle of growth, decay and death. It's simple, slow, and uncluttered--and it reveres authenticity above all. Wabi-sabi is flea markets, not warehouse stores; aged wood, not Pergo; rice paper, not glass. It celebrates cracks and crevices and all the other marks that time, weather, and loving use leave behind."2
To me, it's a graceful elegance that comes effortlessly, put together without pretext, a style versus what's in fashion.
REFERENCES
1. Nesting: it’s a Chick Thing. Ame Mahler Beanland and Emily Miles Terry. Workman New York. June 2004
ISBN 0-7611-3160-4
2. What is Wabi Sabi? (Online Essay). Tadao Ando. http://nobleharbor.com/tea/chado/WhatIsWabi-Sabi.htm
RECOMMENDED LINKS
Japanese Aesthetics, Wabi Sabi and the Tea Ceremony
Wikipedia's Wabi-Sabi Page
;)
;)
