Dynamics of Harmony: A Comparison of Principles between Ikebana and Mondrian’s Neoplasticism

Abstract

The paper Ikebana and Mondrian's Neoplasticism explores the meaning and form of harmony.  By integrating the principles of traditional Japanese floral arrangement, Ikebana with the principles of neoplasticism harmony evolves, not as a static state but that of push and pull drawn on the thinking of Piet Mondrian. The discussion sprung from a deeply personal search for harmony through two seemingly contradictory schools of thought and cultures: Japanese flower arrangement and the abstract art of Piet Mondrian. By bending branches and shaping lines, the nature of harmony takes a visceral form. Initially, they appear similar, not in expression but in their absolute stillness. The East seeks harmony through accord, the West through the reconciliation of discord. Yet beneath the surface, Ikebana and Mondrian grapple with a push and pull, searching for concord amidst tensions. I argue that harmony is a dynamic, fluctuating state that is deceptively perceived as a state of stillness.