Garden Art And Aesthetic Connotation Of Superfluous Things

Superfluous Things is a great work in Chinese gardening history.Taking the garden construction as the main line,this book displays the leisure living environment of literati,and is an important literature in regard to the aesthetic value of garden in Late-Mingdynasty.However,the scholars’ attention and research on journal of Superfluous Things is not much,and their perspectives are not comprehensive.Not from the aesthetic to talk about gardening art,is from the garden on aesthetic implication.Both of these methods what are simple and unsustainable cannot excavate the real meaning and value of Superfluous Things.This paper aims to examine the garden styles,the living pleasures and aesthetics of the literati in the late Ming Dynasty based on the practice of gardening at that time with Superfluous Things as its research subject.The rest of paper is organized as follows.Firstly,on the basis of Wen Zhenheng’s time,his life and works time,this paper discusses the reason of his gardening change that is about the helplessness of official career,the love for of relaxing-life andhis pride and family traditions.The changes of his emotions and spiritual consolation make a chance for garden building and show the ambivalence of literati and the phenomenon of “Garden Wind” in Late-Ming.Secondly,according to the building units of Superfluous Things,this paper analyses the garden artfrom the superficial to the complex.The first part of this section is to discuss building concept,building technique and building principle about the Building Art of garden.The second partexamines functionality,compatibility and humanity about the Layout Art of garden.The third partpresents nature and elegance about the Decorative Art of garden.The pursuit of artistic style in Building Art shows the building fashion and value of literati and incarnates the living concept and lifestyle of "Relax of Literati" in late-Ming.Finally,this paper summaries the tastes and aesthetic pursuit of Wen Zhenheng and other literati in late-Ming dynasty.It explores the aesthetic connotation of garden building,such as aesthetic value,aesthetic interest and aesthetic pursuit.Superfluous Things shows the view of live and aesthetics by the unique way,especially the improvement of life-style in modern society.