“Japonisme, The Japanese influence on Western art since 1858” by Siegfried Wichmann (Thames & Hudson, $45), 432 pages.
After Commodore Matthew Perry of the U.S. Navy opened the doors of Japan to the outside world in 1858, ending 200 years of isolation, a stream of visual information from the Japanese traditions of ceramics, metalwork, architecture, printmaking and painting reached the West and electrified the art world with new ideas of composition and design. The fabulously synergistic results of this encounter by Western artists with Japanese art are known as Japonisme, a relatively new discipline of study, come to light in 1,105 glorious illustrations to a general readership in this new release.
Each page is astonishing in its revelations, almost as if we were being allowed to see how sorcerers accomplish their magic. Vincent van Gogh, for example, evolved a technique of drawing with dots and lines using a reed pen that he based on Far Eastern techniques. The grimaces on the faces of Toulouse-Lautrec’s dance hall denizens are adapted from the Kabuki theater. The stunning floral themes of the crystal and ceramic wonders of Emile Galle, Daum Freres, Rene Lalique and others, are modeled on magnificent Japanese vessels. As one sees the Western masterpieces side by side with the Japanese sources, the impact of East on West is irrefutable, and, one realizes, nothing new but deep and ongoing.
“Katachi, Classic Japanese Design” by Takeji Iwamiya and Kazuya Takaoka (Chronicle Books, $29.95), 400 pages.
Another exceptional document on Japanese culture and aesthetics, but more focused on everyday objects, is “Katachi, Classic Japanese Design. “Katachi,” loosely translated as a sense of form, was photographer Iwamiya’s masterwork, 50 years in the making. His photographs showcase geometric stone temple carvings to humble objects such as bamboo baskets, tea whisks, lacquerware, paper cutouts, sandals, rakes, teapots, dishes and more.
Whatever the object, its execution has been pursued with excellence in workmanship and an astringency of taste. Iwamiya’s camera records not only their pared-to-the-bones forms but captures the intangible qualities of the Japanese aesthetic, which has the power to transform the observer’s perceptions.
“Simply Zen” by David Scott (Soma Books, $30), 128 pages.
Here’s another tome introducing readers to the ideals, traditions and fundamentals of Zen Buddhism as applied to home design. Two things make this book a worthwhile addition to any library on the subject. One is the superb color photography, the other is the expertise of the author in showing how to adopt ideas originating in Japan to create rational, harmonious, well-designed minimalist interiors in the West. He also realizes we all would like to get rid of clutter, but where to put all our stuff? The chapters giving ideas on storage and use of modular systems and units are reason enough to buy this book.
“Feng Shui for You and Your Cat” by Alison Daniels (Watson Guptill, $19.95), 160 pages.
You know you are in for a good time before you even open Daniels’ “Feng Shui for You and Your Cat.” On the cover is a beautiful blue-eyed cat whose half-white, half-black face is marked in the perfect curves of the yin-yang symbol.
The image promises a unique approach to this art of domestic placement–and the book delivers. The author confirms that a cat’s presence within your home will help to stir positive chi, or energy, bring good luck and implement good feng shui practices in many ways. By observing the places your cat likes or doesn’t like to sit around the house, for example, you can identify areas in your home where it is unwise to spend too much time, where unhealthy energy accumulates or “geopathic stress” leaks into your house.
The text is wonderfully written, but the real charm of this book lies in the fresh photographs and appealing drawings of felines laced throughout it.