…And We Thought It Was All About The Trees

[kakejiku]

for those who reside near seattle, washington, you'll be exposed to something similar with the Pacific bonsai Museum this year (2016). A toko display will substitute skateboard art for scroll
with various trees. I'm sure there will be those who find it rather extreme, and yet maybe interesting to the next younger generation to be attracted to the hobby. I'm trying to keep an "open" mind about it...

As far as american bonsai, I'm trying to incorporate more american trees into my collection that are modeled after their look in nature.

Ok, I read this and said, what is the real reasoning behind displaying bonsai. It is to bring a sense of nature in an unnatural (home) setting. When I hear your description, I think it is backwards because where is nature in skateboarding? You skate on concrete and asphalt. Not a lot of nature to view....has anyone visited a skatepark recently...It certainly does not bring the images of trees or bonsai to my mind's eye. A vacuum as well is used inside a house. Has no relation to nature.

That is why I like Brewmeister's idea above. Garden of Eden, Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil...completely in line with nature....

I am glad you are trying to incorporate American trees. You have such beautiful nature to draw upon. Is there a famous cedar that grows on Mt. Ranier? Perhaps you could recreate that scene. Refer to the display sample I sent to you of the temple in the mountains with the waterfall in the background. That is what you are trying to replicate in a display.

 

[sorce]

@Vin
I'm glad this got resurrected.....

I love looking at these....
It takes good trees to pull this off.

We could totally do this here....
But it must be in its own venue...

While I like that Sean Smith tree...and think it is highly innovative and exciting.....

There is a time and place for it...
Which is definitely not across from my favorite tree!

I think it's even a little disrespectful to put wild displays like this in a traditional setting..
Disrespectful to the Culture...
And disrespectful to the other neighboring artists who put a lot of time and effort into a great traditional display....only to get looked over....

Or worse....if I was at that show....and I spent x amount of dollars to go see my favorite tree....I would be throwing Bill Cartwright Elbows at people gawking over that.

I don't think I'd be able to find peace enough to take in the Hawthorne .....
And that would just piss me off!

End rant!

Sorce

 

[Geo]

@brewmeister83- Leave Penjing out of this. It's a cheap shot and weakens your point.

 

[brewmeister83]

@brewmeister83- Leave Penjing out of this. It's a cheap shot and weakens your point.

If you're referring to this part:

This is probably the artistic reason why traditional Japanese display is as minimalist and refined as it is - they probably figured out long ago that adding too many figurines/rocks/etc. (penjing anyone?) detracts from the aesthetic of the tree.

mentioning Penjing was never meant to be a cheap shot, I have several books on Penjing as well as Bonsai and respect the two artforms equally - the point I was trying to make was that if we are talking Bonsai the focus is primarily the tree. In Penjing, not so much if you're looking at a landscape style planting. I was eluding to the Japanese zen ideal of a sort of "less is more" in reference to singular Bonsai Trees. So If you're judging a Bonsai by Bonsai standards, then yes all that Penjing stuff is considered "visual clutter." But in Penjing, it's par for the course. Bonsai is Bonsai. Penjing is Penjing. But I'm still trying to wrap my head around what exactly some of these images are. Just don't put Penjing in front of me and expect me to believe you when you say it's bonsai. That's the point I was making with that comment.

Apologies if I did not articulate my thoughts well enough for you to comprehend my meaning.

 

[Geo]

Understood.

 

[dick benbow]

thanks Judy....

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Now that Dick is back, he can tell my asagi to stop turning red

As far as the whole point of this thread... I don't have any issue with people trying new things. However these displays scream stereotypical Western design ethic...

In Japan, they remove elements until removing one more would leave too few...
In the West, we add elements until adding one more would be too many...

They feel WAY too busy as if the artist didn't really know what he wanted to communicate. And they aren't really bonsai... since the artist is creating art that uses bonsai as simply one element among many.

 

[Anthony]

The Adam and Eve theme image leads the eye out.
As does the teddy bear drawing.
Neither would be very good displays, even as paintings.
Both are unbalanced, as compositions go.

Mr. Steven's work borders on Barnum and Bailey.

Bonsai is about the tree.
Tree-Penjing is about the tree.

If a painting needs words to explain it, it is a failure.
If a tree needs .....................................................
Too much Modern Art nonsense.

If one truly believes Bonsai is an art form, why would the tree need support to be displayed ???????????????????/
K

 

[Vin]

Oh boy, here we go again:

 

[Vin]

Okay, how about this? Without looking it up, who can remember the Second and Third Placed Trees in the Artisans Cup? My guess is not many if any.

But yet we all remember this:




...and we thought it was all about the trees.

 

[Stickroot]

Oh boy, here we go again:

View attachment 92435

Looks like my mother in law's bike!

 

[Vin]

Looks like my mother in law's bike!

I hope she isn't a member here

 

[Stickroot]

I hope she isn't a member here

Oh she knows all about how I feel. Also being a witch she knows everything I do!
Her warts wiggle when people speak of her.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Okay, how about this? Without looking it up, who can remember the Second and Third Placed Trees in the Artisans Cup? My guess is not many if any.

But yet we all remember this...

...and we thought it was all about the trees.

Whether or not I like it, I consider this an attempt to twist the traditional bonsai display. You have the tree, the accent plant, the stand, etc... I don't know what the artist intended, but it feels like an expression of nature over industry... And yet the entire display emphasizes the tree in my opinion, or what the tree stands for. I find it striking, but not something I would want to have in my home

 

[Vin]

I find it striking, but not something I would want to have in my home

Nor I, but I certainly wouldn't mind having the tree on my bench.

 

[Woodland Spirit]

My admiration for Robert Steven continues to grow. Recently, he shared these images with the following quote:

“Any art form needs artistic presentation to convey ideas and message; and there are so many ways to have your bonsai nicely presented. It can collaborate with other art forms including movement, sound etc....”

I’m simply blown away by the “Presentations” in these images!!

What say you?

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These are awesome.
But then I am just a humble (what?) retarded gardener and a (dis)respected artist.

I draw stuff with pencils.
What do I know about art?
I can't make a universally accepted bonsai over night, what do I know about what looks cool?

Just saying it doesn't have to be traditional to be good.
Although traditional can be good and usually is as far as bonsai goes.

 

[Woodland Spirit]

curmudgeons

Gotta love that word

 

[Tieball]

Hmmmm...there's so much going on in the display...the artist's story...the message...interpretive messages likely different than my imagined story...the underlying social message....the force of an environmental condition....the offsetting textures....the balanced imbalance that greets the eye.....

The displays remind me a lot of this as an election year. There's so much going on that needs interpretation that I have no idea what's going on. I enjoy art. I enjoy the assault of emotional art. I enjoy....the life of a tree more. I'm a bit old fashioned and enjoy the pure strength and image of a well done tree quietly and respectably positioned for admiration and discussion. I enjoy the living art of a tree that excites a natural memory. An art that evolves over time.

I like that I can have and hold my opinion. And, others can have and hold their opinion. There's no right or wrong approach. Just different attracting components to engage people. The fact that I'm not a big fan of the displays gives an opportunity for the artist to persuade me with a story and gain my appreciation. I'd like to hear the interpretation side of displays...what the artist thought. Just like I enjoy hearing what the bonsai tree artist thought as the tree developed.

I enjoy excellent art.
I enjoy excellent trees.
I enjoy them together but my mind wants to separate the tree from the display.
They all make me think and see new things.

 

[sorce]

But yet we all remember this:

The only other thing I remember is how godawful that one was on that rock.

This one remains very fresh in my mind.

That witch tree is cool.

The witch tree that needed a slab is better!

Sorce

 

[Vin]

Hmmmm...there's so much going on in the display...the artist's story...the message...interpretive messages likely different than my imagined story...the underlying social message....the force of an environmental condition....the offsetting textures....the balanced imbalance that greets the eye.....

I enjoy them together but my mind wants to separate the tree from the display.
They all make me think and see new things.

"I enjoy them together but my mind wants to separate the tree from the display" More than likely you only think that because that's the way it's "supposed" to be. The point of the topic in the thread is they (non-traditional displays) do cause us think and remember. Well, at least they do for me. I'm not saying I would ever display a tree like these are but to me they are certainly interesting. However, I may do something a little less conventional if given the opportunity though.