In-between, an adjective: situated somewhere between two extremes, or two categories, e.g."I am not unconscious, but in some in-between state." (Sounds like an emotional liminal space to me)
In 2017, The Metropolitan Museum of Art held an exhibition that examined 9 expressions of "in-betweeness" in Rei Kawakubo's Comme des Garcons collections.
At the heart of Rei Kawakubo's collections is ma (space) and, mu (emptiness/without/not have) which coexist in the concept of the in-between.
She is quoted as saying, "I like to work with space and emptiness."(2000)
Ma (space/gap/an interval/an opening/a time between).
Ma often refers to an interpretation of empty space, which can be seen as just as important as the actual "full space".
In the above Pine Trees Screen, the empty space is as important as the trees depicted.
"An emptiness is full of possibilities, like a promise yet to be fulfilled."
In the art of Ikebana, the space around the flowers is considered to be equally as important at the flowers and plants in the arrangement.
https://new.uniquejapan.com/ikebana/ma/ I like the 2 characters, door and sun, that make up the kanji symbol for Ma, and the accompanying quote, "Together these two characters depict a door through the crevice of which the sunlight peeps in." I immediately thought of the lyrics in Leonard Cohen's 'Anthem' song.
I was interested to read there are a variety of words describing space, one being Wa, "building spaces that deepen relationships". Reminded me of this book that I have and cherish.
A descriptive extract from the book explaining Wa.
Another interesting extract from the book.
Mu (emptiness/without/not have).
Form is emptiness and emptiness is form.
Here is an image of a basket-masked Komuso.
Komuso are "priests of nothingness" or "monks of emptiness". The first two characters 'Kyomu' or 'Komu' mean "nothingness/emptiness". The last character 'so' means "priest/monk".
The basket-masked Komuso were itinerant monks, who wandered the roads of Japan playing long flutes as a form of meditation, or for alms. They came into prominence in 17th century Japan. The woven wicker hat/mask is called "tengai', and symbolises a dismissal of the ego or the self.
A section from the 1957 film, 'The Secret of Naruto' directed by Teinosuke Kinugasa, where two komuso come across one another.
The great Japanese filmmaker, Yasujiro Ozu has 'mu' inscribed on his tombstone.
I agree totally with the statement, "His films have to be felt, not just watched."
For any fellow film nerds, take in this interesting video. Various directors, Claire Denis, Wim Wenders, Paul Schrader, Lindsey Anderson and others, discuss their filmic connection with Yasujiro Ozu. View the last segment, Ozu's tombstone.
Zen calligraphy Mu
This is a sculpture by Japanese-born artist, Kengiro Azuma. It is titled 'MU - 507'
Born in 1926, Kengiro Azumz joined the Imperial Japanese Navy as a kamikaze pilot. Fortunately the war ended before he was required to sacrifice himself in battle. The war and its after effects, created a spiritual void for Azuma, pushing him to seek art as a means of expression.
He created a series of 'MU' sculptures, which reflected his personal beliefs as a Zen Buddhist. They are symbolisms of peace and its coexistence with chaos in the universe.
MU - 761
MU - 774
MU - 11
There's something about MU - 11 that makes me think of these wonderful early Issey Miyake garments. Both definitely embody mu and ma. Charged emptiness and space.
A video explaining Kengiro Azuma's MU - 464. Azuma's artistic process is very similar to Rei Kawakubo's, as in how he started with an inspired thought, not with sketches or blueprints.
The early 1980s Comme des Garcons collections related to Rei Kawakubo's expressions of the concept of mu (emptiness) through her monochromatic black palette, and ma (space) in the shapeless loose-fitting garments that create excess space between skin and fabric, body and clothing.
Ma and Mu also converge in RK's 1982/83 Fall collection, 'Holes', in particular the black sweater, which Kawakubo referred to as a "lace sweater'.
When asked about this sweater, RK said, "Those are tears to some, but to me they're not tears, they're openings that give the fabric another dimension." (A space between).
There is a story, that when RK presented her "infamous" 1997 Body Meets Dress - Dress Meets Body collection, Susannah Frankel, the then fashion editor for The Guardian, requested an interview with RK to explain the collection. "She (RK) sat silently, drew a circle in black ink, on a scrap of white paper, then disappeared." Many did not understand this behaviour of Kawakubo's, but through the symbol of a circle, "enso" in Zen Buddhism and representative of enlightenment, Kawakubo was expressing an essential meaning of almost every CdG collection: mu, emptiness, ma, space.
The enso circle, which is never shown as closed or complete, is a reminder of the incomplete.
Again, form is emptiness and emptiness is form.
It is seen in this beautiful ceramic vase, created by Shimizu Yasutaka
The power of a circle.
I have created it in various garments
Brown skirt
Black skirt
Winter sweater
Smiley jumper
Circle shirt
Smiley chiffon blouse
Junya Watanabe's Comme des Garcons Fall 1998/99 collection has some very cool circles in and on the garments
The fabric for these garments is cut with great simplicity, then elegantly structured by means of the circular metal rods. Such creations require skill and very clean cutting.
I began this blog with the 'Rei Kawakubo Comme des Garcons Art of the In-Between' exhibition,
The exhibition was divided into 9 sections, which revealed how Rei Kawakubo's designs occupy the spaces between these dualities.
Absence/Presence
Design/Not Design
Fashion/Anti-fashion
Model/Multiple
High/Low
Then/Now
Self/Other
Object/Subject
Clothes/Not Clothes
Andrew Bolton, the curator of the exhibition, said (RK's designs) "have come to be seen as natural rather than social or cultural - and how they resolve and dissolve binary logic....This in-between space reveals itself as an aesthetic sensibility, an unsettling zone of visual ambiguity and elusiveness, engendering and effectuating an art of the in-between" (Whew, what a sentence!)
This link will download a very good pdf about the exhibition, with images of the garments as they connect to the 9 dualities.
A duality or a binary is a pair of mutually negating choices, contrasted opposites like light/dark, good/bad, up/down. Often one is defined completely in relation to its opposite.
How to transcend duality and think in universal terms, take this link. I found it interesting and worthwhile, although I did not go into the videos, I think the overall message is positive, however there's a duality of its very own! https://ideapod.com/how-to-transcend-duality/
Even Sarah of the Craftivist Collective is discussing binary dualities and the problems they are throwing up in the world today.
"Dearest Craftivists, Gentle Protesters and patrons,
With global media focused on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, it feels right for this edition of the Craftivist Collective Crafterthoughts newsletter to highlight the importance of thinking and feeling beyond binaries. Binaries are social constructs composed of two parts that are framed as absolute and unchanging opposites: black and white, win and lose, light and dark, right and wrong etc. A binary decision is a choice between two alternatives. This can be a helpful mindset for electricians and mathematicians to fix problems. It's rarely helpful for us craftivists and gentle protesters when we are trying to see where to help create a more loving world for all. Ideally we should start from a place of AND not OR: a goal for everyone to benefit, not a plan that has to pick one group of people over another. I'm finding it helpful to hold on to this message from Desmond Tutu letterpress printed onto our Stitchable Changemaker dot-to-dot card (above image) that I know some of you around the world have ordered from my online shop, made thoughtfully and displayed in your home or workplace:
"My humanity is bound up in yours, for we can only be human together."
It's human nature to reach for simple solutions when we react in sadness and angry at seeing suffering. Our subconscious and immediate response is to want certainty: good and evil, right and wrong, victim and perpetrator. Yet we all know that we live in a world that is far more nuanced and that means that we need to respond carefully to situations such as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict if we truly want to be of more help than harm in society."
This is the Stitchable Changemaker project referred to in Sarah's Craftivist message. I undertook it a number of years ago. My sister worked on the Desmond Tutu one,
and I worked on the others.
Another art of the 'in-between' is Kintsugi, the Japanese process by which broken ceramics are fixed using a mix of lacquer, powdered gold, silver or platinum. The result is a delightful design of intricate veins, which run around the repaired object becoming an element of renewed beauty.
This golden "between" joinery relates to the Japanese philosophy of Wabi-sabi, embracing imperfections in our lives. Learning to accept our flaws is a process that can lead to a deeper sense of peace and fulfilment. It is also an expression of the value of resources, encouraging us to live humbly and to try to eliminate materialism.
The origin of Kintsugi is unknown, but it is thought to have become widespread in Japan during the late 16th century. It has a strong connection with the the tea ceremony practice. I think there had to be expert craftspeople, who you took your broken ceramics to for such beautiful repair work. Then again, maybe that slow and gentle precision of the work involved was as much an aspect of the philosophy, as the actual renew and restore of the broken item.
I have created 2 sltsltb skirts, which display a similar concept, i.e. a piece in-between is bringing two skirt pieces back together as a whole. Such a procedure gives the skirt an interesting and decorative drape/fall.
I am going to end this blog with a discussion about liminal spaces.
Liminality represents the in-between of two states, e.g. the teenage years are a liminal state between childhood and adulthood.
Liminal space is the space between what is and what will happen next.
This is a great video explaining the fascinating topic, in terms of various films, and it's no surprise to hear Stanley Kubrick described as a master at liminal spaces.
Liminal spaces became quite a thing of interest during the pandemic.
Watching and learning about liminal spaces, made me think of fascinating architectural studio Diller Scofidio + Renfro's "character-driven unveiling of The Broad museum, 'Detour',
a project they undertook with photographer, Matthew Monteith. Many liminal spaces on view.
Blue Hour, described as the hour of twilight, when the world appears bathed in hues of blue marking the end of the day and the beginning of the night. It is a time of the in-between.
It's a very interesting series of images, with the single occupant "betwixt and between".
And, to finally finish, what about "Mister In-Between".
Enjoy.
sltsltbsigning off in-between all sorts of things.
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