Wabi-Sabi – Decay, Emptiness, and Other Ephemeral Beauty
“Having seen Joel Koosed’s WABI-SABI photographs in a gallery, I was delighted to find them in book form with captions written by the photographer. The photos are, in themselves, beautiful representations of their title which ‘seek to find beauty in the imperfection of all things as they evolve and devolve back into nothing.’
“One sees stark realism, vivid color, amazing natural beauty, form void of detail or newness. But the book reveals in the captions of the photos, places, friends, moods, seasons, nights and days experienced by the capturer. We discover the heart and mind of the photographer. Each picture makes a statement that is completed in its caption, giving a poetic dimension to the experience. The book is a unique work of art.” – Joanne Regenhardt
. . .
Included in the book are some photographs
of my hometown of Manchester, Ohio, and vignettes
of a 1950’s childhood in small-town America.
“My spine tingled as I read and recounted your memories. So accurate, so well defined, so real, they generate memories I have of you and your family. The Sherwood Forest account in particular brought memory to life about ‘the vines’ and creek…What a wonderful spinner of memories you are. Thank you, Joel; well done.” – Tim Stevenhagen
“Beautifully written and all true!” – Laura Bracher
“You are Manchester’s version of Garrison Keillor.”
– Thomas Cox
(Five Stars)
“Brilliant prose enhances the tender, often haunting photos.”
– M.J.; August 2021 Review on Amazon.com
“In the back room (of Alameda, California’s Frank Bette Center) is a solo show of photos by Joel Koosed, entitled Wabi-Sabi, Decay, Emptiness and Other Ephemeral Beauty. Much of the work is devoted to pictures of Manchester, Ohio where the photographer grew up. If the photos aren’t black and white, they feel like it. Mostly late in the day, late in the year, with a dusting of snow on and around the hardwood trees. No people are shown.
“In these photos a cold wind blows through streets where there once was raucous laughter. The sights and sites of Koosed’s ’50s childhood are empty, abandoned or ruined. The back room is rife with fading light, peeling paint, crumbling bridges. The artist waxes philosophical and poetic in written narratives used to give context or reference to the pictures. Koosed has ‘found beauty in the imperfection of all things as they evolve from and devolve back into nothing.’”
– Frank Bette Center for the Arts volunteer, Karen Braun Malpas, in the Alameda Sun • February, 2015
. . .
The book is available for preview and purchase online at:
Wabi-Sabi – Decay…Emptiness…
and Other Ephemeral Beauty