Japanese URBAN Aesthetics - Iki / Read the description please

Discussion (27 posts |  Only members can post. Join?)

Title	Author	Replies	Latest Post
NO gardens, no temples, no shrines!	Red Horse	0	16 months ago
Euphemism and allusion, inconspicuousness	Red Horse	0	16 months ago
No scenary/nature please - Iki is an urban/everyday experience	Red Horse	0	18 months ago
Please post clever contraptions	Red Horse	0	19 months ago
TEMPLES and BUDDHAS are NOT iki	Red Horse	0	19 months ago
■桜の写真を出す前に■	Red Horse	0	21 months ago

» More

About Japanese URBAN Aesthetics - Iki / Read the description please

PLEASE read this first before you post.
（日本語での説明は下にあります）

Iki is one (of many) traditional aesthetic ideals in Japan. Although it is native to Japan (to be specific, Edo, the pre-modern Tokyo), I believe it can be found everywhere around the globe. Iki is special because it's still quite alive today, while other Japanese ideals are almost forgotten.
It can be used for almost anything, but especially for PEOPLE (and his/her personality and deeds), situation, architecture, fashion, design, etc. Note, there's NO IKI IN NATURE. It's always something to do with people, or their will.

I would like to see things that you think "iki."

Examples

Here are some properties of iki. Some of these may be contradictory, but I hope you understand my effort to convey its nuance.

*** BEFORE YOU POST, THINK carefully if you photos show at least some of the following qualities. Put comments to them to explain why you think they bear iki.

An iki thing/situation would be simple, improvised, straight, restrained, temporary, romantic, ephemeral, original, refined, inconspicuous, etc.
An iki person/deed would be audacious, chic, pert, tacit, sassy, unselfconscious, calm, indifferent, unintentionally coquettish, open-minded, restrained, etc.

An iki thing/people/situation cannot be perfect, artistic, arty, complicated, numerous, gorgeous, curved, wordy, intentionally coquettish, or kawaii.

Iki could be "cool" or "elegant," but not necessarily. It's not necessarily something Japanese. Note, not all Japanese things show the quality of iki. In fact, there are many Japanese things that are not iki at all.

Yabo is the opposite of iki.
A non-iki thing is not necessarily yabo, but it's probable.
A yabo thing is usually gigantic, coarse, childish, colorful, self-conscious, permanent, loud, superficial, vulgar, snobbery, etc.

If you would like to know more, read my short paper:
"An Aesthetics of Everyday Life: Modernism and a Japanese popular aesthetic ideal, Iki"

-- Yuji (Red Horse)

「いき（粋）」な状況、デザイン、建築、もの、ひとの写真をお願いします。「なぜいきなのか」という説明があればうれしいです。日本語も可。

参考リンク:
秋桜舎ブログ
（非Flickrメンバーでもコメント可）

参考文献:
九鬼周造『「いき」の構造』

以下のリンクの拙論もどうぞ（日本語版）。

http://cosmoshouse.com/works/papers/