Wabi Sabi and Weathered Things

vintage hardware

There's a remarkable beauty in weathered things. The  peeling paint on old buildings, rusty hardware, lines on peoples faces and  eroded cliffs all bear witness to the  passage of time. It's etched on their surfaces like a mysterious story written in a forgotten language.

a weathered building in Granada, Nicaragua

The Japanese  have a phrase to describe rustic, impermanent beauty -Wabi Sabi "Nothing lasts, nothing is finished, and nothing is perfect." ~ more on Wabi Sabi.

partially restored church Granada, Nicaragua

I'm drawn to the quality of transience in weathered things. There's an element of chaos in their inevitable decay.  I find the whole process hopeful. Eventually something wonderful grows in the ruins.

 

Mayan ruins-Tikal, Guatemala

Selected works from my Secret Garden Series

Manos Santos/Blessed Hands