Week 2

 Japan and Japanisme 

Gina Christopher 

Japanese design was influenced by Chinese design, but is distinct in its own ways. Japanese designs thrive in unbalanced shapes and lines, while Chinese design is more symmetric and axial. Japanese design also focuses heavily on small details. Think tea setups, flowers, lighting and gardens. There are so many small details that make this style be perceived as beautiful. Japanese design is based on two main objectives, religion and site. Religion is important in Japanese culture, specially the practice of Buddhism. In this case, this styles aims to create the simplicity and calmness of the religion in the style of design. This may be why we see so many horizontal lines and natural features. Both of those create a sense of a calm and stable environment. Furthermore, site has a huge impact on design in Japan. The geography is mountainous and full of wonderful views. This is why many Japanese style buildings have wrap around terraces, walking areas in between the bays, and large openings. Besides glorious buildings, the Japanese period was highly successful in creating wonderful decorative arts such as ceramics, Imari, textiles, and paintings. One of my favorite pieces of this time is the The Lily Water Pond painting by Claude Monet! (I’ve attempted to recreate in many times in different color ways with oil painting). :)

My favorite architecture/furniture/interior design 

Imperial Village of Katsura 

I truly admire the interior of the Imperial Village of Katsura. The wood materials in addition to views throughout the village makes for a great experience. I appreciate the large openings to allow the surrounding site to be so interfered with the building as one.

Tray table 

I like these little tray tables because it the first time you see a small table like these. Small furniture pieces like these were crucial for Japanese’s culture to hold thier sanity items such as tea cups. Love!

Lighting 

I enjoy the soft and minimal use of light in Japanese design. Soft artificial light and natural light truly make a space feel more soothing and comfortable. 

Current Applications 

Modern Japanese interior design 

Soft interior lighting 

Modern tray tables 

One Step Further 

Claude Monet 

Claude Monet was an impressionist artist who had a deep appreciation for Japanese style art. His paintings are a prominent example of hoe Japanese aesthetics have impacted Western Art. I’ve always appreciated his work as a I was growing up and learning about it in art classes. I now see the relevancy to the Japanese design period, which is awesome!