Not Quite Wabi-sabi
There is a concept in Japanese culture called "Wabi-sabi" which, amongst other things, involves an appreciation of imperfection and natural decay.
A more Western notion of beauty, when presented with the variety of nature, tells us that it is full of flaws. Beauty and perfection go hand in hand; true beauty only exists in our minds, as any attempt at perfection ultimately fails. A Wabi-sabi attitude, given the same situation, sees beauty in that very imperfection and variety. Something that is flawed, or that changes over time, reminds us of our own existence and creates a certain spiritual resonance in us.
If something is beautiful now, it will not last long. The twinge of sorrow or regret-to-be which such a thought generates is worth appreciating.
If something is ugly, there is yet a fascination in contemplating how it came to be that way, or you may find a paradoxical beauty in its uniqueness.
In general, you are encouraged to look at details with awareness and appreciation, not dismiss them for their failure to match an ideal. We encourage that here as well. In fact, much of what motivates this site is could be covered by Wabi-sabi.
But not all of it.
Wabi-sabi seems to always involve an element of sadness — a longing, a melancholy mood. It's not a bad thing, but it does seem inherent to the concept. Also, despite being grounded in reality, there is still a … cleanliness to it, a removed-ness.
There is another aesthetic, whose name I have do not know. It is a wild, messy, invasive, peanut-butter-on-your-face, sand-in-your-nostrils version of Wabi-sabi. Like pigs in filth, we find joy in the mess.
These images are clinical in their own way, but hopefully show some of the excitement lacking in Wabi-sabi.
More exuberance, less calm.
(at least, some of the time)
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