Wabi-Sabi

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Wabi-sabi represents a comprehensive Japanese aesthetic centered on the acceptance of transience and imperfection. The aesthetic is described as one of beauty that is imperfect,. Characteristics of the wabi-sabi include irregularity, simplicity, roughness, and appreciation of the ingenuous integrity of natural objects and their process.

So rolls in the wabi-sabi automobile.

Automotive restoration is a combination of talent, knowledge, art, patience, and creativity. Bringing back a neglected car or bike to its former glory, or even better than it was when new takes the mastery of many skills. The result is often stunning. Yet the pursuit of perfection can be burdensome.

It can be original only once.

The resurgence of preservation class groups in concours events is wonderful. It brings us a vision of the originality in a vehicle and in some cases the wabi-sabi of a craftsman, a builder, an engineer, or the fabricator. Ask Christopher Runge about this.

Wabi-sabi can change our perception of an object from worn out to that as one of beauty.

The next time you experience an original vehicle think wabi-sabi. Enjoy how a changing, unique object can help you connect to the real world and escape the stressful distractions of perfection.

 

5 comments

  1. Yes! One of the things I so like about “Rat Rods”. Some years ago at the Tacoma “Rod-o-rama” I first saw a late thirties Plymouth coupe with built engine and suspension but the rest just as it had been found: tattered interior with blankets over the springs, cracked side windows and decades of rust (and dents) on the thick body panels. Only a hint of the original color remained. But here was the finishing touch: the car had been varnished, as is, and then lavishly pin-striped! Magnificent.

  4. They’re only original once. There always seems to be an old original in my driveway or garage. Some people are collectors, some are restorers. I am among a group that could be called preservers.

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