The Beauty of Everyday Things, The Philosophy of Soetsu Yanagi.

The Beauty of Everyday Things — by the title alone, most people know whether or not they would be interested in reading this 346-page book. I was one of the many who was intrigued while stumbling upon it by chance and found myself thoroughly enjoying it. The Beauty of Everyday Things is a collection of essays published throughout Soetsu Yanagi’s life discussing the beauty of Japanese art and utilitarian objects. Yanagi’s mind sheds light on art that is typically neglected with attention and empathy that seeps through the pages. I had never read a book like his before, and I had never heard someone articulate their philosophy with such care. He was not just my gateway into understanding Japanese art; he was my gateway into understanding art as a whole. Soetsu Yanagi's The Beauty of Everyday Things serves as a profound exploration of the aesthetic value found in utilitarian objects and Japanese art, as well as the way we observe and treat art as a whole. Yanagi's philosophical insights transcend time, fostering a deeper appreciation for the beauty embedded in everyday life.

Art is not just sculptures held in museums or paintings that grace your walls; it transcends that. Art is the insignificant, the sturdy, the dependable. As the title of the book suggests, this is Soetsu Yanagi’s underlying belief that bleeds into each of his essays. We should appreciate and embrace the things that most see as trivial. "There are cases where the plain and ordinary is far more significant than the extraordinary." (p. 23).  Utilitarian beauty is overlooked due to its typically average appearance; however, it can be seen as the purest and beautiful object in the end. They are objects without ego, without superficial intentions. They are the things that allow us to live easily, to drink and cook, to clean and be clean, to exist with less stress.

Nevertheless, when was the last time you called a bare teapot beautiful in comparison to an intricately painted one that is intended for pure decorative purposes? "Looking at recent works, however, what one sees is an emphasis on visual appreciation over utility and the cutting of corners in the production process, resulting in objects only to be called feeble and ugly. The fact that the colouring is vulgar, the shapes thin, weak, and prone to break, and that the finish easily flakes, all of this comes from a lack of honest attention to the objects' utilitarian purpose. I am tempted to call this type of work amoral and unethical." (p. 6) We tend to only view certain objects as beautiful. Why is that? Why is a painting more attractive than a broom? Yanagi’s philosophy rebukes the common idea with his own: the broom will serve you for years to come with much diligence. Therefore, isn’t that broom just as captivating — if not more? 

It is rare, if ever, that factory-made items can imitate the same warmth and care that is embedded in handicrafts. These objects are made by humans for the sole purpose of being useful to others. There is a genuine purpose for these handicrafts rather than feeding into the (now rampant) consumerist culture. They are products that last you long and serve you with sincerity. Yes, a more superficial version may be cheaper, but it will not withstand the years like the handicraft one will, and that is the beauty. "Beauty is no longer viewed as an indispensable part of our daily lives. Confining beauty to visual appreciation and excluding the beauty of practical objects has proven to be a grave error on the part of modern man." (p. 11) Regardless, this does not mean Yanagi’s dismissal of the new. It is the rejection of the disingenuous. It is not the fact that these newer objects are made with the latest technology that makes their beauty shallow — it is the lack of humanity and care that is (or rather, isn’t) put into these products. "Some people want to abandon handicrafts as a thing of the past, but for me what matters is not whether the manufacturing is new or old but whether the work is honest and sincere." (p. 14)

If these things are so beautiful, then why are they consistently overlooked? Sidelined as second place to the more aesthetically beautiful? It is because we have grown used to them and dismissed their ordinary nature as bare. “[...] when one becomes too familiar with a sight, one loses the ability to truly see it. Habit robs us of the power to perceive anew, much less the power to be moved [...] we didn't possess the proper distance from these objects to see them for what they were; we were too taken up in simply living among them, too busy in creating them.” (p. 33) We need to remind ourselves to see them anew, the way that we do with more aesthetically based art. 

The way we judge art has more layers than simply its appearance; we also judge the signature it bears. The price and value differences between different artists have become a hidden code for wealth and niche intrigue, like its own special club. Most people admire a Van Gogh rather than an unknown artist, regardless of that artist’s skill set. Yanagi sticks with a more holistic approach, despite being an art critic himself. "My primary piece of advice is, when first looking at something, do not judge; do not let critical thoughts come to mind. [...] In other words, you should first, adopt an accepting attitude. Do not push yourself to the forefront but lend an ear to what the object has to say." (p. 281) The object should speak for itself, not the signature. As we set aside our preconceived values and barriers, we see art for what it is, not its label. 

In conclusion, The Beauty of Everyday Things serves as a profound invitation to reevaluate our perceptions of the everyday items that fill our lives. Rather than merely a collection of thoughts, Soetsu Yanagi's essays provide a transformative lens through which we can appreciate the intricate beauty and significance embedded in the mundane. By fostering a deep emotional connection to these objects, Yanagi encourages us to transcend the superficial and cultivate a greater empathy for our surroundings. Ultimately, this exploration not only enhances our appreciation for Japanese artistry and handicrafts but also enriches our understanding of how we relate to the world and the seemingly insignificant items within it. Through this philosophical journey, we are reminded that beauty lies in the ordinary, waiting to be discovered by those who take the time to look closely.