on my way

26 July 2007

Nowadays, no one knows what "understatement" means anymore. Less than a decade ago, there was the minimalist movement. Now, we move to the gaudy, garish and excessive. More attention means bigger fashion statement.

Really, I think we should expand our capacity to handle aesthetics - and the fact that they don't follow a linear curve when it comes to good and bad. If you are going to take the way you carry yourself, the way you dress up, the way you sing, the way you do everything over the top, then you are in dire need of contemplation, wisdom and probably maturity. I doubt understanding aesthetics is very simple, so don't try to act like it is. You will look foolish.

Source: Wikipedia
Shibumi (渋み, noun), is a Japanese word which refers to a particular aesthetic of simple, subtle, and unobtrusive beauty. Like other Japanese aesthetic terms, such as iki and wabi-sabi, shibui can apply to a wide variety of subjects, not just art or fashion.

Originating in the Muromachi period (1333-1568) as shibushi, the term originally referred to a sour or astringent taste, such as that of an unripe persimmon. Shibui maintains that literal meaning still, and remains the antonym of amai (甘い), meaning 'sweet'.

However, by the beginnings of the Edo period (1603-1867), the term had gradually begun to be used to refer to a pleasing aesthetic. The people of Edo expressed their tastes in using this term to refer to anything from song to fashion to craftsmanship that was beautiful by being understated, or by being precisely what it was meant to be and not elaborated upon. Essentially, the aesthetic ideal of shibumi seeks out events, performances, people or objects that are beautiful in a direct and simple way, without being flashy.

Expert singers, actors, potters, and artists of all other sorts were often said to be shibui; their expertise caused them to do things beautifully without making them excessive or gaudy. Today, sometimes baseball players are even said to be shibui when they contribute to the overall success of the team without doing anything to make themselves stand out individually.

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