From the daily archives:

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Wabi Sabi Dahlia

by Bo Mackison on 07/29/2010

Dahlia 'Esther' form Olbrich Gardens, Madison Wisconsin

Wabi Sabi Dahlia © 2010 Bo Mackison

This photograph is the last in the series of dahlias I’m posting on Seeded Earth (though there are many, many more in my treasure piles). I showed you ‘Esther’ as a new bud with the light from the setting sun giving her a warm glow. I showed you ‘Esther’ with her petals just beginning to fully unfurl. I gave you a peek of ‘Esther’ from a vantage not often seen – the undersides of the dahlia, softly lit (and one of my favorites). I posted a photograph of ‘Esther’ close up, so close you could almost see her heart. Today we say good bye to ‘Esther’ the dahlia, as she is on the wabi-sabi part of her journey.

What is wabi-sabi?  As defined by architect Tadao Ando:

Wabi-sabi is the Japanese art of finding beauty in imperfection and profundity in nature, of accepting the natural cycle of growth, decay, and death. It’s simple, slow, and uncluttered-and it reveres authenticity above all.

Seems fitting that this is the photo for today. Today is one of those wabi-sabi sorts of days.

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