The Old Forest Film

The Old Forest

Zen by Accident

I began this project just casually as an experiment and exploration for a few hours with this unfamiliar and unprofessional lens. Just a day, then the next and on and on until finally 11 years had passed.

I approached it as any other time photographing in nature, just limiting myself to this Spartan choice of equipment. Little did I know what I had accidentally prepared for my journey.

Someone looking at what I was doing later told me they thought it was very Zen. I smiled and thought that all I was doing was a simple approach until much later when I actually read what Zen principles are applied to art. I was floored when I read them and saw how closely what I was doing followed those principles unconsciously and intuitively.

The Seven Traditional Zen Aesthetic Principles

Zen art and painting rely on seven foundational concepts outlined in traditional Japanese aesthetics:

Fukinsei (Asymmetry): Avoids rigid symmetry. True balance is created through visual tension and natural harmony rather than mirror images.

Kanso (Simplicity): Strips away all unnecessary decoration. Only what is essential remains on the page or canvas.

Koko (Austerity): Embraces a weathered, mature, and unadorned quality that avoids trying to show off or flatter the viewer.

Shizen (Naturalness): Reflects spontaneity and absence of artifice. Brushstrokes should feel as effortless and inevitable as a growing branch.

Yugen (Subtle Profundity): Suggests deep, hidden meanings and space beyond what is explicitly shown.

Datsuzoku (Freedom from Convention): Breaks free from rigid formulas, academic rules, and routine expectations.

Seijaku (Tranquility): Cultivates a deep, meditative stillness that is felt in the artwork and how it is cared for.