12.11.09
Art and tea
posted by Rachel Linton | 6 comments
Art. Tea. Is there a connection? Surely tea is an art, especially when one looks at the elaborate traditional tea rituals some cultures have. But can art relate to tea? Most definitely.
Most people are familiar with some of the more obvious examples of tea-related art. Tea pots and cups (especially lavishly decorated ones) are certainly art. I have a small, decorative tea set from Washington DC that is clearly art. After all, isn’t art anything that is decorative, beautiful, and doesn’t necessarily serve a practical purpose? My tea set is pretty, but too small to be useful, so I suppose it fits my definition. Not to mention that tea sets (both decorative and usable) come in a wide variety of artful patterns and designs.
What about paintings, sculptures, and drawings that depict tea in some form? They are obviously tea-related art. Tea, which is so lovely in and of itself, can be beautiful in art too.
Of course, there are more ways than the obvious to incorporate tea and art. Sarah got creative when she started coming up with ways to remember all the teas she’d tried. She began cutting off the front parts of the packages of the teas she had tried and pasting them on a large sheet of paper, creating a collage. Although it isn’t finished yet, it is coming along well, especially considering the variety of tea she and I taste. When finished, it will probably display a wide variety of teas, whether black or green, caffeinated or herbal, especially since we are careful not to use the same tea twice in the collage.
Photography is also a form of visual art. Of course, that would mean photographs of tea and tea ceremonies, which are arts themselves, are considered tea-art. In that case, it would mean tea and art are together in every single blog post that has a photograph of tea, a tea ceremony, a tea pot, or anything else tea related. But since a tea set is art in itself, does it become double art when you take a photograph of it? I suppose that’s subjective.
In addition, isn’t writing a form of art? Especially poetry, like haikus and sonnets. Maybe my next post should be tea poetry… Doesn’t that mean this blog could be considered tea-related art? Does it serve a practical purpose? I guess that’s subjective, too.
And, thinking even more outside the box, couldn’t someone paint with tea? Granted, the painting might go bad, making for a temporary art installation. And tea doesn’t come in that many colors (so the end result may not be as vibrant), but it is an idea.
Which begs the question: Is it art when my cat knocks over my tea cup and spills it on my napkin?
December 11th, 2009 at 12:06 pm
I’ve seen people use tea to give wall paper an antique look, so I am very sure you can paint with it, you can also use it to dye clothing… hmmm.. why not hair? Remember the day they used koolaid to add hints of crazy red or purple to the hair?
Just a thought, maybe we’ve not searched the internet hard enough, I bet it’s out there!
December 11th, 2009 at 12:31 pm
For me, each aspect of my tea ritual involves art. The pot I select and the tea cup I drink from, all are hand made and beautiful. I believe that when I interact with art, I’m enhancing my daily life. Some of the hand crafted teas that I drink are especially beautiful in and of themselves. Royal jade snail is an excellent example. So yes, tea is indeed art.
December 11th, 2009 at 2:33 pm
My wonderful mentor and friend, who died at 93, left me something before the thought of getting into the tea business entered my mind…her collection of beautiful tea cups and saucers. Looking back, it was like the last mentoring and direction she gave me as a final gift. They are all works of art. Yesterday, a photographer customer called me over to see some photos he had just taken in a gallery in Culver City. I got excited when I saw teapots in that collection made of clay that were stunning. I guessed $1000-$2000 and he said $2500. Will anyone ever brew tea in them? It wouldn’t matter. Just looking at them was a treat. I’ve seen McKenzie-Childs-ish style teapots..fun and cute.
December 11th, 2009 at 4:25 pm
Diane, could you let me know which Culver City gallery? I’m in Culver City and would love to see them. Thanks!
December 11th, 2009 at 8:15 pm
Erika, I will find out from the customer; he’s here almost daily (weekdays). Will make a note now for Monday to ask and put answer here.
August 10th, 2010 at 10:24 pm
Tea and art go wonderfully together. It’s a pleasure to work with and enjoy both every day.