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Jeanne Heifetz: On Mottanai
Mottanai is a Japanese admonition against waste. Born of the enforced
frugality of poverty — and later of wartime — mottainai is both a
practical and ethical commitment to preserve, repair, and reuse. As embodied in
repeatedly patched indigo boro textiles, mottainai asserts the
inherent dignity and worth – even sacredness — of inanimate objects.
However, mottainai is more than an expression of regret at the misuse
of objects; it is equally an exhortation not to waste time. These drawings are
not utilitarian work garments or blankets. The labor-intensive process of
drawing, although akin to stitching, serves no practical purpose. In the end,
does the drive to create beauty for its own sake respect or defy mottainai?
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| Mottanai No. 3 |
See more work at :http://www.jeanneheifetz.com/
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