Thinking About Signature Style

[Canada Bonsai]

Do Bonsai artists have a “signature style” per se? [...]

Adam Jones and Ryan discuss this in the most recent podcast of Asymmetry, and the conversation is excellent! They discuss both the freedom of the individual as well as the range of possible aesthetics for a given species. They go into containers as well. It's great listening and, I think, crucial for developing one's understanding of this highly nuanced topic.

Asymmetry Podcast

A place for conversation, incubation, and the connection of other mediums to the world of bonsai. In this podcast, guests from all over the world gather to explore bonsai as an avenue to connect nature, culture, and the individual.

bonsaimirai.com

 

[PA_Penjing]

@Canada Bonsai was going to mention that podcast, but I was getting wordy.

 

[just.wing.it]

I think my signature style of bonsai is dead bonsai....still working on that.

Really hoping that this will be my first winter not losing several trees, but its been colder than usual so....damn you global warming!

 

[Huggz13]

Adam Jones and Ryan discuss this in the most recent podcast of Asymmetry, and the conversation is excellent! They discuss both the freedom of the individual as well as the range of possible aesthetics for a given species. They go into containers as well. It's great listening and, I think, crucial for developing one's understanding of this highly nuanced topic.

Asymmetry Podcast

A place for conversation, incubation, and the connection of other mediums to the world of bonsai. In this podcast, guests from all over the world gather to explore bonsai as an avenue to connect nature, culture, and the individual.

bonsaimirai.com

Excellent. Sounds very interesting. I’ll give it a listen on my lunch break.

 

[Huggz13]

I think my signature style of bonsai is dead bonsai....still working on that.

Haha
I think that particular style has had a profound influence on a great number of people.

 

[Lorax7]

Signature style is an emergent feature that arises from the habits of the artist. It shows up in the work of mature artists because they’ve been doing bonsai long enough to have acquired a set of habits in the way they approach bonsai. New artists are still trying out different things and haven’t settled in to a consistent way of doing things. That’s why they don’t yet have a signature style. Of course, there are some folks who never develop a signature style because they are more haphazard about how they do things or, alternately, because they are still doing everything exactly the way they were taught by their mentor to do it. That’s why a signature style is a mark of a seasoned artist: you have to have come up with a few innovations in how you do bonsai (i.e. “Ryan Neil showed me to do this thing this way, but I’m a little lazy and just do it this other way because it’s easier” or “I was taught to do X, but one time out of curiosity I tried doing Y instead and I decided that was better, so that’s how I do it now”)

Signature styles in other art media arise in the same way. You have a signature style when you have a consistent methodology and that methodology includes some quirky habits that are different from what your mentor taught you to do.

 

[ShadyStump]

Adam Jones and Ryan discuss this in the most recent podcast of Asymmetry, and the conversation is excellent! They discuss both the freedom of the individual as well as the range of possible aesthetics for a given species. They go into containers as well. It's great listening and, I think, crucial for developing one's understanding of this highly nuanced topic.

Asymmetry Podcast

A place for conversation, incubation, and the connection of other mediums to the world of bonsai. In this podcast, guests from all over the world gather to explore bonsai as an avenue to connect nature, culture, and the individual.

bonsaimirai.com

This comment got me thinking about defining, "signature style," particularly the mention of containers.
I personally have a fondness for unglazed pots when I allow myself to imagine having the finances to get pots. That or understated, subtle glazes. I also enjoy keeping an eye out for random and unconventional items that could make complimentary pots. Hubcaps, broken lawn ornaments, whatever. I don't find many that pass muster and are worthwhile to store until I have the right tree for it.

That said, how much of a tree's aesthetics is tied to its container or planting?
Nick Lenz has gotten famous for things like root over skull plantings, but how good are his trees on their own?
At what point is the tree separate from the pot and planting, and what point it the planting or pot the star vs the tree?

 

[Huggz13]

This comment got me thinking about defining, "signature style," particularly the mention of containers.
I personally have a fondness for unglazed pots when I allow myself to imagine having the finances to get pots. That or understated, subtle glazes. I also enjoy keeping an eye out for random and unconventional items that could make complimentary pots. Hubcaps, broken lawn ornaments, whatever. I don't find many that pass muster and are worthwhile to store until I have the right tree for it.

That said, how much of a tree's aesthetics is tied to its container or planting?
Nick Lenz has gotten famous for things like root over skull plantings, but how good are his trees on their own?
At what point is the tree separate from the pot and planting, and what point it the planting or pot the star vs the tree?

Yes... good questions. I need to know too.

 

[rockm]

This comment got me thinking about defining, "signature style," particularly the mention of containers.
I personally have a fondness for unglazed pots when I allow myself to imagine having the finances to get pots. That or understated, subtle glazes. I also enjoy keeping an eye out for random and unconventional items that could make complimentary pots. Hubcaps, broken lawn ornaments, whatever. I don't find many that pass muster and are worthwhile to store until I have the right tree for it.

That said, how much of a tree's aesthetics is tied to its container or planting?
Nick Lenz has gotten famous for things like root over skull plantings, but how good are his trees on their own?
At what point is the tree separate from the pot and planting, and what point it the planting or pot the star vs the tree?

Nick Lenz' trees are excellent. I caught the exhibit the National Bonsai and Penjing Museum did on his work a couple of years ago. Let's just say the containers--as weird as some were-- didn't outshine the trees in them.

The Eccentric Bonsai Artistry of Nick Lenz" National Bonsai and Penjing Museum; Oct 26 - Nov 17, 2019

Twisted Genius: The Eccentric Bonsai Artistry of Nick Lenz" National Bonsai and Penjing Museum at the U.S. National Arboretum Sat, Oct 26 - Nov 17 10:00 am - 4:00 pm I and other Lenz students and friends will be showing Lenz art at this unique retrospective. A tribute to Nick Lenz a pioneer in...

www.bonsainut.com

 

[penumbra]

I personally have a fondness for unglazed pots when I allow myself to imagine having the finances to get pots. That or understated, subtle glazes.

This is me.

 

[Huggz13]

This is me.

I really like the unglazed pots as well.

 

[Carol 83]

Not many I know of in my area of the Midwest.

Nope. I'm only about a half hour or so away from St. Louis.

 

[ebart]

So what is a good northwest florida tree to use as a bonsai tree?

 

[ebart]

So what is a good northwest florida tree to use as a bonsai tree?

I was told to look out my window to determine what kind of tree to use.I have pine trees and oak trees. Would they be good to start as a seed for a bonsai tree?I'm brand new.

 

[BrianBay9]

I was told to look out my window to determine what kind of tree to use.I have pine trees and oak trees. Would they be good to start as a seed for a bonsai tree?I'm brand new.

New and very young? Starting southern live oak from acorns might be very satisfying if you have the time and patience.

While most trees could be used for bonsai, some are going to work better than others. You're looking for species that can handle root work without dying, trees that back bud readily when pruned, trees that will produce small internodes and have leaves that can reduce to scale. Pretty much anything that makes a hedge can be used effectively. Bonus for trees that develop mature bark in smaller sizes.

For you I'm betting bald cypress, southern live oak, hackberry, any elm you can find, azaleas, holly, boxwood, ......I'm sure others from the area could suggest more.