Zen of Seeing: Seeing/Drawing as Meditation [Paperback]

Frederick Franck (Author)

Book Description

A Dutch artist offers his concept of seeing and drawing as a discipline by which the world may be rediscovered, a way of experiencing Zen.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

A Dutch artist offers his concept of seeing and drawing as a discipline by which the world may be rediscovered, a way of experiencing Zen.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Vintage (September 12, 1973)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0394719689
• ISBN-13: 978-0394719689
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 0.5 x 10.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #44,277 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

162 of 163 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Creative Classic, May 24, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Zen of Seeing: Seeing/Drawing as Meditation (Paperback)

I was overjoyed to see this book back in print. I bought, devoured, and used this book in 1975 as an art student. Have you ever been so interested in doing an activity that time seemed to stand still? When you stop, it's almost like waking up from a pleasant dream or coming home from a long trip. That's what Franck is writing about here: the process of taking a tiny element of nature, a leaf or a stick or a seashell, and getting to know it in an unbelievably intimate way by drawing it. It absolutely does not require artistic "ability" to do this. Nonartists will be astounded what an adventure it is to take an hour or two and do this activity. It is therapeutic. It feeds the soul on a level that is akin to meditation, hence the title. My drawing teacher said, "I am not going to teach you to draw, I am going to teach you to see." Franck does this, and weaves into the text Zen stories and koans that shed light on the reasons for doing this activity in the first place. Enlightenment can be found in the art of tea, in the art of archery, in chanting and meditating, and Franck has shown us that drawing is a very valid method to add to this list. Thank you to the person who decided to reintroduce this classic. When so many books focus on creativity as a way to succeed in business, it's refreshing to return to developing creativity for its own sake. Buy this book, but promise to also plop down under a tree somewhere and draw!

58 of 58 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't ever let it go., March 12, 2002

By 

JOAN M KIND (Thornton, CO USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Zen of Seeing: Seeing/Drawing as Meditation (Paperback)

Where has this book been? I started drawing and painting a few years back and have bought lots of books, but none like this! I don't think of myself as a Zen person or a mystic, but this book really speaks to me. The drawings are beautiful, but go beyond a superficial beauty. Even if one is not interested in drawing, there is lots in this book to recommend it. It is not just a book about seeing and drawing, it is a book about truly living.

56 of 59 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A relaxing reminder of the powers within, November 5, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Zen of Seeing: Seeing/Drawing as Meditation (Paperback)

Years ago when this book was in its infancy, I was enrolled in a philosopy class on Death and Dying. When asked what we would give to a friend who was dying, I responded, "The Zen of Seeing--Drawing as Meditation." Why? Because in a person's final hours I believed it could provide a peace that comes from seeing the world differently--more openly. Why wait for death to knock?