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Ikebana

Practiced since more than 600 years ago, its purpose was initially to be offered to the spirits of the dead as part of  the Buddhist ritual. By the middle of the 15th century, ikebana achieved the status of an art form independent of its religious origins, though it continued to retain strong symbolic and philosophical overtones. In the past, ikebana was practiced by only priests and those of nobility. However, over time, ikebana came to be practiced at all levels of Japanese society. ( sourced from http://www.ikebanahq.org/history.php )

 

Ikebana emphasizes on areas of the plant such as its stems and leaves, rather than its blossoms. Through the use of different colour combinations, shapes, lines and form, asymmetry is formed. The choice of materials, container and the setting to create a sense of harmony is also pivotal.  

 

Types

Rikka

It means standing flowers. Its objective was to reflect on the magnificence of nature with an arrangement that depict Mt. Meru, a mythical mountain in Buddhist cosmology and a symbol of the universe. It uses a tall vase and highlights vertical lines. The biggest feature is the emphasis on bringing out the flowers’ natural charms and arranging them in a tasteful and elegant manner.

Nagarie

It means to throw in. It is a syle of arranging that stresses fresh and spontaneous designs adhering only loosely to the classical principles of triangular structure and colour harmony. It is characterised by a single long branch with shorter branches and flowers at the base arranged in a tall upright vase.

Moribana

It means piled up. Influenced by the introduction of Western flowers and an opening of ideas, this style sought to reproduce a miniature landscape to garden scene within a vase. There are three common Moribana styles—upright, slanting, and water-reflecting—with many variations within each style.

sources

https://www.britannica.com/art/nageire

http://factsanddetails.com/japan/cat20/sub129/item2782.html

Ikebana: The Art of Flower Arranging

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Taste

Taste (gustation) refers to what is detected by the taste cells, located on the front and back of the tongue and on the sides, back and roof of the mouth.

Here is a diagram of the tongue, the place where the basic sense of taste is percieved:

Taste is a sense that meant to aid us in testing the food we are consuming.  A bitter or sour taste means danger. On the other hand, a sweet or salty taste is often a sign of food rich in nutrients.

 

Taste is not just affected by the taste of the food itself, but also the smell. Without the sense of smell, our sense of taste will be dulled.

 

Approximately half of the sensory cells react to several of the 5 basic tastes, and they differ by having varying levels of sensitivity to the different basic tastes. This means that there are numerous levels of intensity for each taste.

Hence, if there are 5 basic tastes and 10 levels of intensity, 100,000 different flavors can be produced.  Together with the senses of touch, temperature and smell, there are an enormous number of different possible flavors.

 

*note for those who are curious:  the other half of the sensory cells react to only one taste. Their job is to transmit information on the intensity of the stimulus.*

Basic senses of taste

sources

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0072592/

http://tomvangelder.antrovista.com/sense-of-taste-129m56.html

 

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Conclusion

Using food is not just about the taste of the food itself, but also its smell. The temperature as well as the sense of touch also enhance on the whole taste experience. Sadly, since our project requires use to bring the food from my hostel, the temperature of the food will be affected, and hence I will not be able to bring out the full tasting experience. However, I can still manipulate the temperature of the food by either cooking them in the morning, or preparing them the day before and placing them into the fridge to cool them down.

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Autumn

This is the theme I am given. And so I did some research on the season and did a mind map:

I also found a very nice article about autumn, which reveals the mood of Autumn:

a sense of  “melancholy so soothing, so gentle in its approach, and so prophetic in its influence, that they who have known it feel, as if instinctively, that it is the doing of God.”

Here is the link to the article: 

https://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/2013/nov/11/autumn-decay-death-1840

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Next, I search for images of ikebana autumn arrangements:

From these few examples, I can see that the main direction of the lines are either going downwards, or horizontally. Perhaps the use of precarious balance for the dominant in my final model will convey the mood of Autumn the best: a deep melancholy. The use of more vibrant colours can make the mood more soothing and gentle.

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Compositions

Legend

Dominant: Orange

Subdominant: Purple

Subordinate: Blue

Rules of thirds: yellow

Principal axis: red

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#001

 

2D sketch analysis

 

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#002

 

2D analysis

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#003

 

2D analysis

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Conclusion

I decided to choose the last sketch model 003 for adaptation. This is because the sharpness of the cone is the least among the 3 sketch models. Furthermore the precarious balance of the long cylinder gives a melancholic mood, which is what I am looking for. 

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Progress of Final Layout

 

Branch

I chose a thick curved branch for the final piece. Below is one of the pieces that I rejected as I found the branch too thin and frail.

Next, using a pen knife, I removed the bark of the branch that is covered with a thin layer of green moss.

The result is a beautiful smooth dark brown piece of branch that resembles a small version of a firewood.

 

Base:

I then made a base using cardboard paper ( which is painted using acrylic to resemble wood ) as well as Styrofoam. Using twine, I attached the branch onto the base:

A sheet of baking paper is placed on the base. This is so that I can place food on the base, and it also mute the vibrant white colour of the Styrofoam.

I pegged the baking paper using toothpicks, which have a wood colour:

 

Food

I decided to roast cone-shaped oyster mushrooms (which I carved out myself) and Brussels sprouts, as roasting can represent the smell of smoke in the air in Autumn, as well as the warmth of the fireplace. Mushrooms and Brussels sprouts are also in season in Autumn :

I ended up not using the Brussels sprouts as they are too green, hence unable to match the general colour scheme of autumn. Furthermore, they are too similar in diameter for the other piece of food I am placing.

I tried to use cranberry cheese (which my mum coincidentally bought that week) for the cylinder part of my set up.

 However, the cheese kept crumbling apart. Hence I change my cylinder to a chocolate stick instead.

 

Layout

I decided to change the selected sketch model so that I can adapt the final model with the materials I have. I also did so to compliment the theme better. I increase the size of the sphere and changed its position so that it can support the cylinder. I also change the position of the cone as it is hard to pierce the chocolate stick without crumbling it. I also want to make sure that the main part of the composition is still edible, hence I refuse to use any adhesive. Thus I altered the position of the cone.

 

Here is final layout I initially put forth:

However, the mess of cranberries on the base is too unnecessary (noted by Cheryl). Therefore, I removed them. Some of the dried cranberries attached to the branch are also removed so to show the gradual increase in cranberries which makes the whole model look more appealing. 

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Final 

top

 

side

 

front

 

side 2

(note: part of the cone can be seen here)

 

front 2

 

” …yet it is a melancholy so soothing, so gentle in its approach, and so prophetic in its influence, that they who have known it feel, as if instinctively, that it is the doing of God. ”

– From the archive, 11 November 1840: The gentle melancholy of autumn, the Guardian

Inspired by this quote, I arranged this final model such that it gives a feeling that is calming but yet slightly sorrowful at the same time.

The large dominant thick hardy branch curved slightly, providing a horizontal line across the whole model as it balances precariously. This portrays the melancholy of Autumn. This sense of sadness is further emphasized by the lack of sharp vertical lines in the model.

The branch resembles that of a miniature firewood. It provoke a sense of homeliness and warmth, as if one is sitting near the fireplace, and its gentle natural curves of the branch gives a calming effect.

Attached on the branch are dried cranberries that gradually increases in number towards the tip. One can see that the increase is arranged in rules of thirds:

Dried cranberries taste sweet and tart at the same time. Therefore, they represent the ups and downs in life.  

The cone-shaped mushroom is seasoned with honey and roasted in the oven. The roasting represent the smell of smoke from the burning leaves in Autumn and also the chimney smoke. It also reminds one of the fireplace. The sweetness from the honey coated mushroom, together with the chocolate stick and the apple, contrasts with the melancholic feels the layout of the model expresses. The taste of the sweetness soothes the soul, as food that are sweet are often known to lift the spirits.

The chocolate stick reminds one of hot cocoa, which is a common staple in the cold Autumn. 

On the other hand, the apple reminds one of the many deliciously warm desserts and meals prepared in Autumn.

The void present in the model ( one is the empty space at the side of the base, and another is the empty area below the long tree branch) creates a ‘zen’ mood, making this piece of work seem calming and pleasing to look at. While the warm brown and red tones reflect the many common colours that are seen in Autumn.

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Reflections

This project is fun and tiring at the same time. I really enjoy the process of pairing food together to match the season and I really learn a lot from it. I am glad that I am not as restricted as I was during the first project, and am able to freely create visually pleasing models. I do think that if I am given more time, I may be able to better complement the food items together in terms of taste, texture and temperature. 

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