Japanese Design

September 8, 2014
Japanese art aficionado Graham’s (Tea of the Sages: The Art of Sencha) overview of Japanese design tracks the evolution of Japanese art in this lavish, eloquent, and succinct four-color album. Opening with a visual survey of the culture’s aesthetics, Graham defines basic terms associated with the understated style, such as wabi-sabi, which refers to a rustic, withered aesthetic that first captivated Westerners nearly a century ago, or ma, which is used to describe the elegance of empty space. Next, Graham delves into the ways in which religious values inform design elements. She concludes her inquiry on an international note with 28 pithy bios of the early promoters of Japanese aesthetics who helped import and popularize the style in the West. Among those profiled are journalists, art critics, art dealers, and artists, such as architect Frank Lloyd Wright. The book covers a wide spectrum of examples—from 16th-century folding screens and the Katsura Imperial Villa near Kyoto to contemporary resin installations and hotel interiors—and offers a valuable primer on the range of Japanese style. 160 color photos.

October 15, 2014

Graham (Faith and Power in Japanese Buddhist Art, 1600-2005) explains the components that define Japanese art and design rather than taking a historical view. Her intent is to familiarize those unacquainted with Japanese history and culture but who desire to understand its design aesthetic. The author considers Japanese religion and culture in terms of their effect on the arts, beginning with a close examination of the Katsura Imperial Villa near Kyoto that exemplifies the traditional Japanese style. As illustration, Graham provides close to 200 color photographs that show examples of ancient furniture, decorative accessories, clothing, and woodblock prints, with a section on contemporary items. The book concludes with short biographies on 28 people from the 19th century up to the 1950s who were responsible for promoting Japan and its art and crafts, including architect Frank Lloyd Wright, writer Lafcadio Hearn, and artist John LaFarge. VERDICT Those new to the subject of Japanese design will get a quick, succinct education about its defining elements and its influence on Europeans and Americans and their art.

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