Display Challenge 001

[Anonymous User]

A couple more....

 

[agraham]

Great stuff Will! I particularly like the one with the scroll and accent.The accent could be a bit larger though.I still think that the secondary tree overpowers the primary one.So, leaving it out would be my preference.

btw...I'm still trying to encourage others to take part in this discussion.Hopefully this wording will better suit the administrators at AoB.I posted it under the discussion thread for the contest that this tree won.My last two posts there were worded incorrectly and evidently deleted.


"I realize this is a bit late,but I'd also like to thank Mr. Valvanis for taking the time and effort to judge this contest.I found the displays well done and Mr. Valvanis' comments educational.Hopefully there will be another contest such as this in the near future.

In the meantime,there is an interesting discussion of the winning entry over at Bonsainut.I think Will has come up with some great variations and ideas on how to improve this particular display.

You can find the discussion and Will's virts at this link. http://bonsainut.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1104"

Here's a link to the contest and Bill Valvanis' comments,just in case anyone missed the one Will provided. http://artofbonsai.org/forum/viewforum.php?f=41&sid=54cac3e2b57a3081791a78334904ced3

Sorry I don't know how to hotlink but I think this will do.And here is a link to the question and comments section for the contest,just in case anyone is interested in what the members there had to say.
http://artofbonsai.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=536


andy

 

[Graydon]

I get a conflict here as the foliage is very lush and very green and the moss is very green as well....I was hoping others could help me out on this?

I would expect a conifer to have lush and green foliage year round, but that could be from my experience living in a lush and green region of the country. I suppose I agree on the green moss aspect. I did find that a bit unusual on the barren deciduous tree.

 

[Anonymous User]

I guess I should have explained myself better. My impression is that the foliage somehow missed the harsh extreme conditions that the trunk suggests.



Will

 

[Boondock]

absolutely top notch

thanks

 

[Graydon]

I guess I should have explained myself better. My impression is that the foliage somehow missed the harsh extreme conditions that the trunk suggests.



Will

Ahhhh... thanks Will, I get what you are saying. I could agree and/or disagree but I guess it depends on what you see in your minds eye. To me I don't see this as a tree that is located near the top of some extreme mountain area or cliff region. I see it as a tree in a higher elevation but living quite well in a ravine perhaps sheltered from old man winter to an extent. It's thriving because of a lucky location but is still exposed to some harsh (trunk shaping) weather. Maybe the prevailing winds don't quite reach it all year long, sparing it a bit.

At least that is the story the tree, along with the other items in this display say to me. Could be completely off as we have no mountains here in Florida unless they are comprised of garbage and then we call them landfills.

 

[Anonymous User]

More visuals for thought.

I'll post my personal thoughts on this display tomorrow. I have found all the comments to date very interesting and thought provoking, thanks to all who have helped to study this display.




Will

 

[Anonymous User]

There is no doubt that the centerpiece, the pine, of this display is a remarkable specimen, although a little too helmet shaped for my personal taste, there is no denying it's beauty.

This display is a Gyo-Display or semi-formal display and should be studied as such. The Horizontal orientation and asymmetrical arrangement of the objects, as well as the oval pots all attest to this. However, the higher stand for the bonsai stretches toward a Shin or formal display. A scroll would move the orientation toward to vertical and stretch the display further toward a formal.

Most successful displays, especially those in a Tokonoma, have the objects placed in accordance with the Golden Section, this is where I think this display fails. I think the artist was afraid of the "Intellectual Background" or of empty spaces. The genius of a display is not so much by how the space is filled as to how much space is not. There must be enough space left for the imagination to play. This is where such concepts as the golden section and the proportions of Hogarth come into play.

I played around with the layout of the display for quite awhile and realized that in order to keep the artists' vision intact, we must experiment with the objects he wished to display. By taking away an object we move from a semi-formal to a informal display and by adding a scroll, we move closer to a formal display. So can the objects, as presented be arranged in another configuration to be more successful, or has the artist found the best configuration already?




Will

 

[Anonymous User]

Below would be my personal rearrangement of the objects.


1) Original configuration.

2) Rearrangement.

3) Rearrangement and shortening the stand height.

 

[Anonymous User]

Better? Worse? The Same?

 

[Anonymous User]

The display, as shown in the first post won first place in AoB's display contest. William Valavanis judged the contest and I agree that this display was the best of the 40 or so that were entered.

I know that Bill frequents this site and I would like to hear his thoughts on the changes made to the display. Particularly if the new arrangement is an improvement or not and why.

Bill is very experienced with bonsai displays and he has seen some of the best displays in the world, his input would be very educational and enlightening.

The AoB Awards (linked to in my signature) has a display category, hopefully these discussions will help those thinking of entering, or at the very least, inspire some to do so.

All thoughts are welcomed.

Will

 

[Anonymous User]

Any thoughts? Suggestions? Other options?

For a very good book on display as well as many other related subjects, I highly recommend Willie Benz's "Bonsai Kusamono Suiseki - A Practical Guide for Organizing Displays with Plants and Stones"



Will

 

[Graydon]

Any thoughts? Suggestions? Other options?

For a very good book on display as well as many other related subjects, I highly recommend Willie Benz's "Bonsai Kusamono Suiseki - A Practical Guide for Organizing Displays with Plants and Stones"



Will

I have nothing more to add Will but a big thanks for getting me thinking about display. I appreciate your efforts on this thread and also thank you for the link on the book. Once I purchase it and give it a read or three I'll try to add an informed opinion.

 

[Ken Duncan]

The main thing that I find distracting is the pot color of the main tree with the color of the stand.
I don't know if this is any better though.
Ken

 

[Anonymous User]

Thanks Ken,

Do you think the pot color was the most distracting feature of this display and does this new color rid it of the distraction?


Will

 

[Ken Duncan]

Will, I am not sure that was the only problem with this display but that was what stood out the most to me. The pot being almost orange seemed to clash with the red stand. The pot that I selected may not be the best choice, but I think it is calmer than the red-orange one.
Ken

 

[Anonymous User]

I understand.

What did you think of the arrangement?



Will

 

[Anonymous User]

I have nothing more to add Will but a big thanks for getting me thinking about display. I appreciate your efforts on this thread and also thank you for the link on the book. Once I purchase it and give it a read or three I'll try to add an informed opinion.

I look forward to it Graydon.




WIll