I don't know what I am supposed to see
@Adair M .
When I look at one of these kind of stands, I think I'm being taken on a journey up/down the mountain (or something analogous). I expect to see lowland/domestic plants or warmer season fruiting species on the bottom, etc., ending with a something seemingly subalpine up top. All of it is supposed to feel quite cozy, so one tree must direct my interest to the next. Trees on the left 'point' to the right and ones on the right point to the left.
For me, the lower right tree moves to the right and should be reversed. The tier 2 tree on the left in the white pot should not be on a stand. I expect its apex to be below the one on the right. The stand makes the two apexes be at the same elevation. For me, the orientation of the JBP on top is reversed = inconsistent with my eye movement from lowest (left), up+right, up+left, up+right, and finally up moving left I expect, but it instead points the other way (right). I guess I'm just stating a long winded version of your statement that
The box stand is moving to the left.
If so, I now understand what the 'movement' of a box stand is (tentative thank you).
In this line, I feel that the pine on top is too tall. I think it should be much more sumo-like to be on top. When I go across the street or out into the forest and look up the trunk of a 100 foot tall tree, it seems to be short with radical taper = a sumo. I've got it in my mind that this is the image of the top shelf. Maybe that just isn't right. I dunno.
The photograph raises further uncertainty for me. I think the middle tier ought to be about eye level, so that I'm looking down on the low-land lowest-shelf trees, and up to the lofty heights on the top shelf. Of course, we say the same of bigger bonsai and they are all too often placed on display tables that are too low, which is why most people are bent over looking at trees in an exhibition. After some years, this now makes sense to me, but with box stands, I'm uncertain of my intuited expectations.
Finally, I find that shohin displays with lots of wild colored and/or painted pots really excite me. I really do like all the color and detail of the pots. It does, however, move my visual focus away from the trees and toward the pots, but I like it. The trees are magnificent but do nothing to upset the pleasure of the riot of color. With this display, however, every pot is dark EXCEPT that one white pot, 2nd tier left. At any rate, it stands out and makes me ask what is so special about that? Why are you (display maker) asking me to focus on that particular tree in the display? Change it to an unglazed or dark colored pot would greatly improve this display, IMHO. Maybe just having the other tree on the middle tier right in a lighter/brighter colored pot would do the job.
The only thing I am sure of, is that
the exception to the rule (whether preconceived expectations of the viewer or those produced by the general nature of the composition)
always get attention. So, what are the rules and how do I understand them is key info for me.
I remain unsure of just what I am supposed to see in a box display and maybe miss the artistic expression in the display because of that. For example, I think a princess persimmon on top is just not right. Were I to see one, I would be wondering if this is a rebel talking or just some know-less-than-me's ludicrous 'composition'. A cascade on the bottom shelf is just not right. But, on the other hand, a cascade on top seems acceptable as most of them that I see 'in the wild' are on sub-alpine rocky cliffs overhead. Here I suspect I've got something very wrong (or that traditions have stepped in) because I cannot recall ever seeing a (semi-)cascade on the top - why don't I/we?
This treasure trove of pix posted by
@PaulH could make for some educational discussion. even though I suspect it was not his purpose in posting them.