This building was in the middle of the industrial wasteland I was telling you about last entry. I feel mixed emotions every time I see one of these old buildings slowly decaying in Cincinnati. I always feel sad that such a masterpiece was let go. Someone spent years carving all of these incredible ornaments and they are slowly crumbling to pieces. At the same time I also absolutely love the state of decay they are in. One would be hard-pressed to recreate this incredible patina. Just look at the colors... the gold and green and rust show through the paint in the most wonderful way.
Of course I can't help but think this building embodies the essence of wabi-sabi and I will leave you with a great quote from Leonard Koren's book "Wabi-Sabi for Artists, Designers, Poets, & Philosophers":
"Wabi-sabi represents the exact opposite of the Western ideal of great beauty as something monumental, spectacular, and enduring. Wabi-sabi is not found in nature at moments of bloom and lushness, but a moments of inception or subsiding. Wabi-sabi is not about gorgeous flowers, majestic trees, or bold landscapes. Wabi-sabi is about the minor and the hidden, the tentative and the ephemeral... The closer things get to nonexistance, the more exquisite and evocative they become."
1 comment:
I love this post. Such gorgeousness and, I do agree, the beauty is in the decay.
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