Kimono as asymmetry

In my view asymmetry is a foundation of beauty of kimono: It almost symmetrical in its pattern but ion the body it is always asymmetrical

if indeed : "The Japanese are masterful at asymmetry and kimono are superb examples. They are balanced but not perfectly symmetrical"
According to Robyn Taylor Author form Australian artlink.com "Japanese usually favour asymmetry."

as in ikebana which is acording to this text of von Marianne Sikora-Schoeck An Ikebana arrangement is always asymmetric. In ikebana "the chief characteristics-asymmetry" kimono is another dimention of this asymmetric concept . No image of kimono on the body is shows symmetry. Is it because as von Marianne Sikora-Schoeck wrote "the rules lead to asymmetry and imply it as a natural law. It is the premise for the never repeated variety of possibilities of arranging."?

Kagao "small face" digital art from my collection

In continuation of "small face" topic I deiced to visualize my understanding of kagao. Of course it is eclectic and not authentic,. My goal was not a visual research but a metaphor. Initial title of this piece was “ Japanese visage “ but after kagao research ( which ids still going on ) I decided to re-name this piece . The new title is Kagao. This piece is digital print on canvas
20"x 30" from my art of kiomono collection.

Art of Kimono is currently on the top in the Google blogsearch

Art of Kimono blog is currently on the top in the Google Blog search engine with keyword “kimono” .

Thank you Google!!!!!

Portraits of Beautiful Women

In continuation of research about proportions of Japanese beauty, started from my “small face” posting, I did some digging in art history trying to establish the difference in understanding of beautiful proportions in Japanese tradition in western tradition.
Japanese Ukiyo-e Printmakers Suzuki Harunobu (1724-70),( see his image to the right) Torii Kiyonaga (1752-1815) (see his artowrk to the left) did establish the system of beautiful proportions for women.

acording to this article form this site "Harunobu, ... depicted women as dolls in a world of fantasy. Kiyonaga's beauties were rendered with a special system of proportion known as hattoshin -- the subject's body being divided into eight parts. Kiyonaga was particularly regarded for the realism of his background scenes. Utamaro concentrated on half-length and bust portraits, and was noted for outlining the features of the face which, with decoratively designed hair and gorgeously lavish robes, created a sweeping composition, as well as for the emphasis he gave to facial expression, although casual"

Acording to the autor of the article " western viewers may find it difficult at times to discern variation." However, approximately in the same time The British statesman and philosopher, Edmund Burke (1729–1797). wrote in his essay "On the Sublime and Beautiful"

Some hold it to be seven heads; some make it eight; whilst others extend it even to ten; a vast difference in such a small number of divisions! Others take other methods of estimating the proportions, and all with equal success. But are these proportions exactly the same in all handsome men? or are they at all the proportions found in beautiful women?
(read the full text )

May be Japanese and Western sense of human body proportions was identical in the same period of time?

KOGAO, or “little face”

Concept of KOGAO, or “little face” is absolutely mysterious to me. I bumped into this term when doing my research about proportions in Japanese ideal of women’s beauty. I see now that I scratched the surface of something very interesting. Below are some of my findings that I am going to think through step by step:

Small face as an ideal of beauty is correlated with concept of ideal proportions in Japanese tradition.

Acording to this source "while 'kogao' (small face) is a compliment, 'nekozura' is usually derogatory. "

Acording to The Japan Times Online

"Height and build also enter into the small-face equation because any face will appear smaller when perched atop a long, leggy body. The ideal seems to be having a head that makes up one-eighth of your total height, expressed in Japanese as hattoshin (literally, eight-heads-body). This, my friend Yoshiko told me, is the head-body ratio most Westerners have, while Japanese noggins are more likely to be bigger in proportion to the body. That body type worked fine when Japanese wore kimono and big hair, she said, but makes it harder to look stylish in Western clothing."

There are special techniques and devises which can help to obtain “small face”

Acording to The sirens of Tokyo: "To obtain a kogao, or “little face,” there is an endless range of products, from sauna masks to creams. You cna see the image of the "stylish mask while taking a bath to achieve a cute small face (”kogao”).

kimono from Pointybunny's collection part 2

I am posting photos of Kimono’s detail and close up on kimono’s fabric from Pointybunny's collection. This is psting is follow up on my previous posting. Thank you, Pointybunny!

kimono from Pointybunny's collection

My fellow blogger Pointybunny was kind enough to photograph and send me images of kimonos form her collections . Beautiful kimonos!! Thank you ,Pointybunny!!! I am going to post some details and fabric’s images form Pointybunny’s collection shortly .Pointybunny publish fascinating blog Hello Gaijin! Adventures in Tokyo.

collage "Back View of Kimono" by Carrie Scott

The “Back View of Kimono” was inspired by the “Femmage” of Miriam Schapiro.
Schapiro celebrated the beauty in women’s use of material and technique to produce art that had been overlooked throughout history.
Also having a great interest in Eastern culture, I wanted to create something reminiscent of a kimono while still encompassing a bit of abstraction.
To support a more abstract feel, I created this by purely on my memory of the appearance of a kimono. I combined different patches of material resembling silk brocade in several layers and angles to complete “Back View of Kimono”.

Carrie Scott

Carrie is a graphic designer currently residing in Coral Springs, Florida. You are welcome to visit her website www.carriescottart.com

concept of kimono : at Mark K. Wheeler Gallery

I presented two artwork at The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale (AiFL) faculty annual art show at Mark K. Wheeler Gallery

Artworks are interesting to me because with them I explore the concept of a silhouette what is my field of interests.
Technically these pieces are digital rendering of original pencil drawings . The size of original prints is 30 inches x 40 inches ( approximately 75 cm x 100 cm)
Images presented on the show are 13” x 19” digital ink jet prints on paper . Title :
“concept of kimono “