Zen Landscapes

Perspectives on Japanese Gardens and Ceramics

Nonfiction, Home & Garden, Antiques & Collectibles, Pottery & Ceramics, Gardening, Japanese Gardens
Cover of the book Zen Landscapes by Allen S. Weiss, Reaktion Books
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Allen S. Weiss ISBN: 9781780232317
Publisher: Reaktion Books Publication: September 15, 2013
Imprint: Reaktion Books Language: English
Author: Allen S. Weiss
ISBN: 9781780232317
Publisher: Reaktion Books
Publication: September 15, 2013
Imprint: Reaktion Books
Language: English

 The essential elements of a dry Japanese garden are few: rocks, gravel, moss. Simultaneously a sensual matrix, a symbolic form, and a memory theater, these gardens exhibit beautiful miniaturization and precise craftsmanship. But their apparent minimalism belies a true complexity. In Zen Landscapes, Allen S. Weiss takes readers on an exciting journey through these exquisite sites, explaining how Japanese gardens must be approached according to the play of scale, surroundings, and seasons, as well as in relation to other arts—revealing them as living landscapes rather than abstract designs.

 

Weiss shows that these gardens are inspired by the Zen aesthetics of the tea ceremony, manifested in poetry, painting, calligraphy, architecture, cuisine, and ceramics. Japanese art favors suggestion and allusion, valuing the threshold between the distinct and the inchoate, between figuration and abstraction, and he argues that ceramics play a crucial role here, relating as much to the site-specificity of landscape as to the ritualized codes of the tea ceremony and the everyday gestures of the culinary table.

 

With more than one hundred stunning color photographs, Zen Landscapes is the first in-depth study in the West to examine the correspondences between gardens and ceramics. A fascinating look at landscape art and its relation to the customs and craftsmanship of the Japanese arts, it will appeal to readers interested in landscape design and Japan’s art and culture.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

 The essential elements of a dry Japanese garden are few: rocks, gravel, moss. Simultaneously a sensual matrix, a symbolic form, and a memory theater, these gardens exhibit beautiful miniaturization and precise craftsmanship. But their apparent minimalism belies a true complexity. In Zen Landscapes, Allen S. Weiss takes readers on an exciting journey through these exquisite sites, explaining how Japanese gardens must be approached according to the play of scale, surroundings, and seasons, as well as in relation to other arts—revealing them as living landscapes rather than abstract designs.

 

Weiss shows that these gardens are inspired by the Zen aesthetics of the tea ceremony, manifested in poetry, painting, calligraphy, architecture, cuisine, and ceramics. Japanese art favors suggestion and allusion, valuing the threshold between the distinct and the inchoate, between figuration and abstraction, and he argues that ceramics play a crucial role here, relating as much to the site-specificity of landscape as to the ritualized codes of the tea ceremony and the everyday gestures of the culinary table.

 

With more than one hundred stunning color photographs, Zen Landscapes is the first in-depth study in the West to examine the correspondences between gardens and ceramics. A fascinating look at landscape art and its relation to the customs and craftsmanship of the Japanese arts, it will appeal to readers interested in landscape design and Japan’s art and culture.

More books from Reaktion Books

Cover of the book Prague by Allen S. Weiss
Cover of the book Game by Allen S. Weiss
Cover of the book Short History of the Shadow by Allen S. Weiss
Cover of the book Hollywood Goes to Washington by Allen S. Weiss
Cover of the book Concrete and Culture by Allen S. Weiss
Cover of the book Lobster by Allen S. Weiss
Cover of the book Llama by Allen S. Weiss
Cover of the book Meteorite by Allen S. Weiss
Cover of the book Ostrich by Allen S. Weiss
Cover of the book Tokyo by Allen S. Weiss
Cover of the book Brit-Myth by Allen S. Weiss
Cover of the book Champagne by Allen S. Weiss
Cover of the book Designing Modern Germany by Allen S. Weiss
Cover of the book Stand Up Straight! by Allen S. Weiss
Cover of the book Synthetic Worlds by Allen S. Weiss
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy