Signature Styles

[Tentakelaertje]

All over the world styles, cultures and influences are different, and now I'm curious how that shows in bonsai on a certain level. A stick in a pot is a stick in a pot.

What do you guys think about it?
Please add images and styles previous posters have not covered (enough) yet.
Adding characteristics is appreciated.

Here's my perception and my limited knowledge, not saying it's either right or wrong, because this is how I see it. If/when you think I'm wrong, please explain why. Please add for we don't wanna be uneducated fucks.

I do realize one can not speak for everyone, but let's try anyway.

P.s. If the image is yours and I didn't tell it's yours, apologies.
Please don't sue me, I'm a poor student and my coin is lower than what is left of a beer after you are finished with it.


Japanese style:

Manicured canopies;
Lots of (twisted) deadwood on conifers, none on deciduous;
Incredibly ramificated, both on conifers as deciduous;
Mainly focused on a relative small amount of species;
Imports (almost) nothing, and (almost) all native Japanese species.

Antarctican style:

Cold, ice, ice, penguin, cold.

European style:

Knowledge lacking, but I do have some examples.

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Styles I'd love to see covered more on but can't cuz of my lacking knowledge:

African styles
Australian styles
Murican styles
South-East Asian styles (yes that includes hon non bo)
Chinese styles (ditto for tree penjing)
Japanese styles
Latin American styles
European styles

I know there's more than one style per continent/area (like american eastcoast and westcoast), so if you think the picture is too big, please split it up.

 

[carp]

i don't have time to post images.
here is a list of artists, you can look at their work on google.

Nacho Marin - Venezuela
Pedro Morales - Puerto Rico
Juan Andrade - Costa Rica (though he is a Japanese apprentice currently)
Toby Diaz - Puerto Rico
Min Hsuan Lo - Taiwan
Chiu Chang Chiang - Taiwan
Robert Stevens - Indonesia
Budi Sulistyo - Indonesia
Hu Yun Hua - China


Ryan Neil - Oregon
Michael Hadgerdorn - Oregon
Jim Smith - Florida
Ed Trout - Florida
Suthin Sukosolvisit - Massachusetts
Bill Valavanis - New York
Boon Manakitivipart - California

this is not to say, they are the best artists, but they are all internationally recognized and representative of many cultures.

 

[fredman]

African flat top..

 

[sorce]

African - American Flat top.


Sorce

 

[BobbyLane]

American-Bald Cyrus

 

[Starfox]

This is quite an interesting topic but I can't say I am qualified to make any calls on much of it due to lack of experience.

However being an Aussie it was in my searches for Australian native plants I stumbled across such plants being used as bonsai and this lit the torch for me and here I am now with an eventual goal of having among other things a few Aussie natives to try my hand at.
If any Aussie's or Kiwi's are floating about I'd love to see what their thoughts are too.

Anyway, this page here is one of the first ones I saw and for me at least I was seeing the trees I grew up around, much smaller and in pot no less.
https://www.anbg.gov.au/bonsai/index.html
If you click on each years links you will see a selection of that years natives on display and I will post my favourites from them here.

Eucalyptus Nicholii

Grevillea Scarlet Sprite

Callistemon viminalis ‘Captain Cook’

Melaleuca Thymifolia

Another Callistemon from google images.

I have since discovered a whole lot more like Acacias, Banksias, Leptospermums, Casuarinas and the list goes on.
There is no shortage of inspiration from nature of these trees which is harsh and unforgiving and I like that.

Like I said I can't really speak for any fundamental differences in the actual styles or methods used in creating them but I feel at least that the trees themselves impart a certain style.

More years available here, I could post pics all day.
http://www.cbs.org.au/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=160&Itemid=79

 

[thumblessprimate1]

I like what the OP posted as Japanese bonsai and the European flavors of it. I have Crape Myrtles and Hackberries that are rugged looking with some deadwood that I may style in ways emulating what Walter Pall or his friends (students?) Marija & Andrija might do. Check out their website.

Now here's some Taiwanese bonsai that I love from sidiao.com

 

[michaelj]

You'll notice, too, that among the "Japanese styles" there are preferred styles. Some artists prefer the triangles and triangles. Others like the rounded helmet crowns. Others like wild movement in deadwood and pads forming a tree somewhere in the middle of the deadwood rollercoaster. A lot of times, you can tell a lot about an artist, and why he recommends you do X or Y with your tree, by looking at which Japanese nursery he, or his teacher, or his teacher's teacher apprenticed at - Toju-En, Daiju-En, Mansei-En, Shunka-En - they all have somewhat different ideas about how a bonsai tree should look.

This, by the way, is one of the reasons why you shouldn't have more than one teacher work with you on the same tree.

 

[Adair M]

You'll notice, too, that among the "Japanese styles" there are preferred styles. Some artists prefer the triangles and triangles. Others like the rounded helmet crowns. Others like wild movement in deadwood and pads forming a tree somewhere in the middle of the deadwood rollercoaster. A lot of times, you can tell a lot about an artist, and why he recommends you do X or Y with your tree, by looking at which Japanese nursery he, or his teacher, or his teacher's teacher apprenticed at - Toju-En, Daiju-En, Mansei-En, Shunka-En - they all have somewhat different ideas about how a bonsai tree should look.

This, by the way, is one of the reasons why you shouldn't have more than one teacher work with you on the same tree.

Beyond the triangles and helmets, there are other more subtle differences between the various Japanese nurseries: For example, all will want the bottoms of pine tree pads to be "clean", but some want the bottoms to be absolutely level, or absolutely flat, but others want to show a little curve, or a little wave. Some like the pads thin, some fatter, some tapering, etc. Some like to style using fewer, bigger pads, other houses prefer more plentiful, smaller pads. Some position all the terminal tips so they stand straight up, others so that they are up at a 45 degree angle.

 

[carp]

@michaelj and @Adair M I thought all Japanese bonsai was the same and plastic?

 

[Adair M]

@michaelj and @Adair M I thought all Japanese bonsai was the same and plastic?

There appear to be those around here who think so.

 

[M. Frary]

There appear to be those around here who think so.

Not me. I love them. And I think a lot of people secretly do too.
Pictures of Japanese bonsai trees are the first bonsai trees I saw. They are what got me started. And probably most everyone else too.

 

[Adair M]

Not me. I love them. And I think a lot of people secretly do too.
Pictures of Japanese bonsai trees are the first bonsai trees I saw. They are what got me started. And probably most everyone else too.

Yep. The Japanese didn't invent bonsai. The Chinese did. They have elevated the art to a very high level.

 

[carp]

i like to think of the Chinese/Japanese cultural relationship in a similar fashion to the Greek/Roman relationship.

Taiwanese bonsai is honestly my favorite. It's heavily influenced with Chinese taste but refined with Japanese skill. I also work with a lot of the same species, so I can relate to it more easily. i'll never be able to grow Satsuki in my end of FL.

 

[LanceMac10]

There appear to be those around here who think so.

Sarcasm....I liked it...."it's funny because it's true....!"hehehehee....

The irony of folks rippin' on someone's wiring because it's TOO GOOD is a head-scratcher....

 

[LanceMac10]

i like to think of the Chinese/Japanese cultural relationship in a similar fashion to the Greek/Roman relationship.

Just less towel-snapping.....

 

[LanceMac10]

American-Bald Cyrus

Thanx ,Bobby.....(insert "drapes" joke here).....

African - American Flat top.
View attachment 93103

Sorce

I thought this was your yearbook picture? Tell me you were a foot-tappin', fist dappin', hip-smackin' B-boy back in 'da day!?!?
Parachute pants? With tons of zippers? I rocked 'em....hehehehee....little more short-bus "Top Gun" than Kool Mo Dee!!!

 

[fredman]

I'm a natural freak but like to keep an open mind about bonsai in general. I find cultures and there relationship to nature very interesting. I'm ashamed to say I just cant find any feelings for pines, cypresses, conifers etc. Not their fault, I just didn't grow up with them, so never gave them any thoughts. Similar to styles. I know they exist but don't find it interesting enough to explore.
What I do find very interesting is what carp and Alain M touched on above. Different cultures has different takes on similar styles. Do I understand that correctly?
Can someone please explain to me what the differences is... I mean if the same tree were to be styled by the Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Philippines etc. etc. .... how will it differ from each other?
If there is even differences between nurseries, within a single country, what then is the "standard" for that country's style, and what sets it apart from another country's style...? Other country will surely also have differences within itself amongst the nurseries..... ?

 

[GroveKeeper]

I think that a truly American style would be highly regional and also representative of the various cultures that have developed bonsai throughout the centuries.

 

[LanceMac10]

Just less towel-snapping.....

I'm gonna give that a like....I'll take "Caligula man-act" for one-thousand, Alex....