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bonsai is not my hobby
Join Date: Oct-2001
Location: Egling, south of Munich
Country: Germany
Posts: 1,425
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'This sort of discussion is VITAL'
Ok,
I can see that I have to clarify this. Vital for whom and for what?
Al has made it clear that it is not so vital for the art as a whole. And that it is not vital for the great masses of hobbyists. I agree.
What I meant is that it is vital for the small group of people who are very serious about bonsai. For those who are artists and want to be artists. For those who want to excel in bonsai. And also for those who will never excel as artists, but are keenly interested in the artform as collectors, critiques, politicians, vendors etc.. A very small percantage of the whole community, I agree. But I dare to say the really imortant part of the whole bonsai family.
Has Al not made it clear that art will go on with or without this discussion? He has tried to make it clear, but I disagree.
Why is it that in some quarters time seems to stand still. Why is it that in some circles bonsai is pracitsed exactly the way it was state of the art in the 1960ies. Why is it that people who are very eager to be regarded as artists cannot see over the fence of their ivory tower? Why is it that people who are or rather were big names in bonsai are so agressively against new developments in this art?
Why is it that one hears 'WE don't do that', 'This is not done', 'This is against the rules', 'I work with the rules (and I am superior because of this)', 'These guys don't do it THE RIGHT WAY', ' I am absolutely against this contemporary influence', 'Why do we have to import European juveniles to tell us what we have invented anyway?', 'Why should we fix what is not broken, why change bonsai when it is on it's zenith?', 'New developments in bonsai are new, but are they better?', 'How can these guys get away with insulting the Japanese tradition and even get applause from many Japanese?', 'How dare this jerk call a national treasure a fair piece of craft and implying that it is NOT art?
'How dare they call traditional bonsai oldfashioned' and on and on.
Well everyone can think of their own answers to these questions. I think that this sort of discussion will open many an eye. It has certainly opened mine. It has forced me to get my thinking straight. They have crucified me in these threads over the years. But I have learned to sort my thoughts.
Many will not want to see when their eyes are opened. Fine, how can one tell when a person gets old? When the person starts speaking how much better things wer in the old days, in the good old days, when there was no doubt about what was right or wrong in bonsai.
This sort of discussion is vital for those who are at the front edge or want to be there. It makes sure that bonsai is an art and not a craft. It makes sure that bonsai fundamentalists DO NOT HAVE THE SAY. It makes sure that there is no such thing as true or false, rigth or wrong in bonsai. Beacause it is an artform and not a craft.
I understand that the great majority of bonsai enthusiasts don't mind. Why should it be different in bonsai than in real life?
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