Concept Deep Interview #02｜Empathy with Mingei
Celebrating 10 years since its establishment, Blue Over has updated its concept statement. The new concept statement incorporates the background of the brand, the way we approach manufacturing, and the thoughts we want to share with those who wear our shoes.
[Full text of concept]
It's a fairly long concept at over 2500 characters, but some parts have been cut down to make it easier to read. In this content, Blue Over's designer Watari and brand staff Egawa, who wrote it, will thoroughly dig into the content.
Person introduction
Watari
The founder and designer of Blue Over. Tama's hobby is wood carving. My favorite car is the first generation Honda City E-AA.
Egawa
Blueover/Struct staff. Enjoys handicrafts on holidays. I would be happy if I could use what I made right away.
#01Background to the launch
We have read in detail the ``Beginning of Blue Over'' and ``Background of Shoe Making'' in the Egawa Concept text, but this time we will look at the continuing ``Influence from the Mingei Movement.''
Watari
thank you
Influence from the Mingei movement
In my work (product design), I am influenced by one movement. It is the Mingei movement advocated by Soetsu Yanagi.
Egawa
Speaking of Soetsu Yanagi, he is the father of Sori Yanagi, a master of product design. Sori Yanagi is a famous designer who, like Watari and me, is a must-read for anyone who studies or has studied design. Even if you have never heard the name, I think many people have seen cutlery and kitchen tools.
Watari
that's right. In fact, my introduction to Mingei came from the products created by Mr. Sori.
Egawa
That's right. How did you become interested in Soetsu's folk art?
Watari
When I first became interested in design, I found Sori's product designs to be particularly appealing among the various industrial products. The design is streamlined, rational, and yet warm. At the time, I was simply drawn to its form. I remember feeling like I could see people in it, unlike other uniform industrial products.
Egawa
What do you mean you can see people?
Watari
Perhaps I felt something like the intimacy that the philosopher Takashi Kurata describes. Why does it have a shape and atmosphere that gives it such a sense of ``tenderness''? As I dug deeper to find it, I came across the ``Mingei'' of my father, Mr. Soetsu.
Egawa
Mr. Watari became interested in Mr. Soetsu, who is also a product designer, and learned about his father, Mr. Soetsu, a philosopher, and was influenced by him. Although I learned about Mingei when I was a student, I only learned about the general outline, so when I became a staff member at Blue Over, I once again looked up Mr. Soetsu's book and learned more about it. If you look at the website of the Japan Folk Crafts Association, you will see the following about the characteristics of folk crafts:
Practicality. They are not made for viewing, but rather serve some kind of practical purpose.
Nameless. It was created by an unknown craftsman, not by a special artist.
Plurality. Many were created to meet the needs of the people.
Inexpensive. The price is low enough that anyone can buy it.
Workability. It involves skilled techniques acquired through repeated and strenuous labor.
Locality. They are rich in local colors, with unique colors and shapes rooted in the lifestyle of each region.
Division of labor. In order to create a large number, collaboration between multiple people is required.
Tradition. It is protected by tradition, the accumulation of skills and knowledge of our predecessors.
Otherness. Rather than the power of individuals, it is supported by great invisible forces such as the climate, the blessings of nature, and the power of tradition.
Excerpt from the Japan Folk Crafts Association website
Egawa
There seem to be some commonalities in Blue Over's manufacturing...
Watari
When I started Blue Over, I didn't intend to do it with Mingei in mind, but when I looked at this characteristic again, I realized that there was something in common with it.
The early 1900s was a time when mass production began due to industrialization. At the same time, crafts have become ornate and decorative objects, and based on this background, Soetsu Yanagi believes that true beauty lies in the lifestyle that is rooted in each region's climate and suitable environment. He showed that the products born from the handiwork of anonymous craftsmen are ``wholesome beauty'' that is suitable for use without any pretense.
Egawa
Here, we are referring to the "beauty" found in folk crafts that Mr. Soetsu discovered.
Watari
Generally speaking, the standard of value for beauty in tools up until now was that tools made from expensive materials or made by famous craftsmen were considered beautiful. However, Mr. Soetsu recognized that "beauty" resides in things other than just physical things.
Egawa
Generally speaking, ``beauty'' refers to something visually beautiful, but in the definition of mingei, the shape is not described as ``it's beautiful because it looks like this.'' In other words, it can be conveyed that it is not a story about beauty in terms of "shape or shape," but to be honest, you wouldn't understand it just by reading it.
Watari
It's definitely hard to understand. As I said, I don't think the "beauty" here refers only to appearance and form. Mr. Soetsu, who was also a religious philosopher, interpreted this as showing how to perceive beauty from a religious perspective.
Egawa
I interpreted Mingei as the ``beauty of use'' that Soetsu said, meaning that use and function lead to beauty. The beauty of use (functional beauty) is almost the same as folk art.
Watari
Certainly, there are many ways to receive it. There were times when I saw it that way at first, but I think it's because design has a tendency to use logic to unravel the origins of tools and connect them to form. But when I looked at folk art, I realized that it's not just about functional beauty.
Egawa
Hmmmm
Watari
Is it original at all? Personally, I believe that his selection of the beauty of folk art is due to his outstanding aesthetic sense, and that it is completely different from what the world calls folk art. A long time ago (around 1960) there was a mingei boom, and during that time the definitions were expanded and interpreted, and I think we are now in a somewhat chaotic situation. The folk crafts selected by Mr. Soetsu in the folk craft museum are very modern and intuitively beautiful, but there are also some items sold at stores in some local area that are labeled as folk crafts. do
Egawa
Certainly, I feel that the word mingei has become quite broad in its meaning. ...If I may ask you directly, is Blue Over a folk art?
Watari
I've talked about this so far, but to tell you the truth, I've never thought of Blue Over as a folk craft (lol).It's strange that they call this brand a folk craft in the first place. However, it is true that I was influenced by Soetsu's ideas, and I think the definitions written there are very nice. If someone were to tell me that Blue Over is a folk art, I would be very happy.
Egawa
I see! That's certainly true, but in the first place we are not the ones to judge whether something is folk art or not. In other words, I agree with Soetsu's definition of mingei, but Blue Over is not trying to be mingei.
Returning to the topic of ``beauty'' for a moment, how does Mr. Watari interpret Mr. Soetsu's philosophy?
Watari
``Tools were created out of necessity by the people living in the local community.The tools take advantage of the climate of the area, and also exist as ``work'' for the local people who live there. do. There is no such thing as famous or unknown; it simply exists as a matter of course in people's lives. The cycle of relationships between people and things is so natural, healthy, and beautiful! '', and I think that's really great. I like the wholesome part of "healthy beauty." I think it's wonderful to be healthy and beautiful.
Egawa
The ``wholesome beauty'' that dwells in folk art refers to the ``beauty'' that includes not only the figure but also the background surrounding it. That's the interpretation. I also think that my perspective on folk art has changed a bit.
The blue overcoat has a simple, rounded appearance and is made in Japan. Also, the word Mingei. If you just pick that up, it seems like they are advocating folk art (lol).In fact, it's not just that.Although a big factor is that I sympathize with Soetsu's idea of healthy beauty, the consumption cycle as mentioned last time is a big factor. Questions about...Including the parts that I will touch on in my explanations from now on, the brand Blue Over is an output that includes many other things.
Beauty that exists in life. I was strongly influenced by this idea, and believe that even in modern society it is important to create designs that are based on the local culture and cultivated techniques, and I try to avoid unnecessary designs as much as possible. Masu. Blue Over's activity is to maintain the presence of craftsmen (production areas) who can create such healthy beauty.
Egawa
We avoid unnecessary designs as much as possible...Is that why Blue Over doesn't have a mark unlike other brands that are based on mass production?
Watari
Not having a mark doesn't mean I'm anti-mass production, and I don't think it's unnecessary. Recently, there are many brands that have small marks on them.
Egawa
The number of clothing brands is also increasing considerably.
Watari
I think it was during that time that there were many designs with extensive markings placed on the sides.
Egawa
It means that what was popular has become established.
Watari
However, the fact that there is no big mark on the side of our shoes certainly does not mean that the brand name comes first, and we thought that they should be anonymous. It may be a way of expressing our intention that it is the nameless craftsmen who are creating our brand.
Egawa
Moreover, because it is a highly anonymous figure, the material and form are highlighted, making it a sight to behold. There is also that aspect. I would say that the work of the craftsmen is being put to good use.
Watari
That might be true. When I design, I start by considering the strengths of the factory I'm working with first. In this design, if you force the factory to do something that it is not accustomed to, unnecessary elements often accumulate as a result.
Egawa
Speaking of unnecessary elements...Hmm, does that include, for example, the work process of the craftsman?
Watari: That's right. On the other hand, if you design something that incorporates the techniques that factories are good at, you can end up with something extremely beautiful. The same can be said about materials.
Egawa
In other words, if you do something that is impossible, you end up creating something inefficient and uncool. At Blue Over, we try not to do anything that is impossible, and we try to take advantage of the strengths of the factory and simply watch the product come out in a natural way. I certainly think it's showing up in the end.
This time, I read the ``influence from the Mingei movement'' in the concept statement with Watari, the designer of Blue Over and the author of the concept statement.
He encountered the ``Mingei'' advocated by Sori's father, Soetsu, and was strongly influenced by his primitive and pure philosophy.
We continue to work to preserve the places and people who create ``wholesome beauty'' while sympathizing with folk crafts.
Next time, we will continue to read about the design that Blue Over uses.
