by Hannah Andresen
This is a study about our perceptions to living materials using aquatic plants.
Aquatic plants can be treated so they get used to our usual humidity. They change to get used to new conditions. It is called a Wabi–Kusa.
- Form a ball out of Soil mixed with water.
- Use tweezers to plant the aquatic plants into that ball.
- Locate them into a glass using a clingfilm to secure it from dry air. It needs lots of light and two sprays of water each day.
After a period of four weeks the clingfilm can be removed and the plant can live in our usual air conditions.
Japanese Philosophy Wabi-Sabi
Wabi-Kusa comes from the japanese aesthetic and philosophic theory Wabi-Sabi. Its content is:
- Nothing lasts, nothing is finished, nothing is perfect
- introduces the imerfection, impermanent and imcomplete qualities to objects and things (asymmetry, asperity/patina, simplicity)
- natural processes are included into objects
- the appreciation of basics such as falling leaves in autumn
- acceptance and consciousness of caducity
To be expanded: Perception of materials and branded objects
There was an interesting study about the perception of apple products. Apple products often activate those areas of the brain which are usualy active if we watch faces or judge emotionally.
In taking attention to Wabi-Sabi and the study about Apple I ask the following:
What is our perception and relationship to living materials?
In combining these aspects I created four objects for visualization.
In conserving these living plants they freeze in a room of their own. For that I used gelatin.
Colourwise I chose transparent, red, blue and green to illustrate the ideas.
1. Romantization of nature
2. Mortality and Caducity
3. The Real and its picture in blue space
4. Plants and things closer together
Overview
