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Brian,

Sure, let’s stay on the (somewhat) familiar ground of 3-point bonsai display. First we can acknowledge the very concrete fact that 3 is the most powerful number in art. Three works; three most easily conveys meaning in complex composition.

In our 3-point display, we’re going to use a tree, hanging scroll and a mountain suiseki. A transient fact in our 3-point display is the fact that the tree/stand goes closest to the hanging scroll and the suiseki goes farther away. This creates an isosceles triangle. This form is the most effective and “beautiful” sort of triangle in artistry (another solid fact). Furthermore, as the suiseki is the element that has the least visual weight and sits lowest, placing it furthest from the central element helps to “ground” the composition.

In this case, the commonly seen 3-point composition is obeying artistic fact – that these elements work best in this configuration. No one decided that this was so, it is so because of natural law as it relates to human perception. Using these specific elements in a different arrangement would destroy the basis of the display’s artistry.

BUT
What if the tree in question is a meadow-growing species and the suiseki is in a suiban with sand? How about, for a more natural effect, the artist decides to place the mountain suiseki and suiban on a high stand and puts the tree on a wooden plaque resting on the display floor. This changes things and the composition must change accordingly.

In this case, the suiseki/suiban/stand goes closest to the central element (the scroll) and the tree goes further away. Now, still, the tree has the most mass, but it is not the heaviest visual element because the stand lends the mountain suiseki a much higher center of gravity and it grabs the eye before the tree does. Thus, to obey the artistic facts described by the principle of the steelyard, the tree/scroll/suiseki arrangement must be altered to fit the transient facts introduced by the tree species and companion placement.

In these two cases we have examples of artistic compositional fact that seem to be contradictory. But they’re not - if we account for the transient circumstances involved. Note also that there could be many more important factors brought to bear by the subject of the scroll image, the size of the tree, the configuration of the pot, the type of stands used, the source of the light into the composition, the style of tree used, …and the list goes on and on.

But fundamentals of artistry determine the basis of the playing field. The players on the field shape the choices for which facts are relevant. Some facts are always relevant (triangular composition), but others are made relevant by the specific circumstances.

I hope this was to too convoluted and helped to shed more light on these issues.

7-Sep-2005	#9
rutledge bonsaiTALK Journeyman Join Date: Feb-2005 Posts: 39	Brian, Sure, let’s stay on the (somewhat) familiar ground of 3-point bonsai display. First we can acknowledge the very concrete fact that 3 is the most powerful number in art. Three works; three most easily conveys meaning in complex composition. In our 3-point display, we’re going to use a tree, hanging scroll and a mountain suiseki. A transient fact in our 3-point display is the fact that the tree/stand goes closest to the hanging scroll and the suiseki goes farther away. This creates an isosceles triangle. This form is the most effective and “beautiful” sort of triangle in artistry (another solid fact). Furthermore, as the suiseki is the element that has the least visual weight and sits lowest, placing it furthest from the central element helps to “ground” the composition. In this case, the commonly seen 3-point composition is obeying artistic fact – that these elements work best in this configuration. No one decided that this was so, it is so because of natural law as it relates to human perception. Using these specific elements in a different arrangement would destroy the basis of the display’s artistry. BUT What if the tree in question is a meadow-growing species and the suiseki is in a suiban with sand? How about, for a more natural effect, the artist decides to place the mountain suiseki and suiban on a high stand and puts the tree on a wooden plaque resting on the display floor. This changes things and the composition must change accordingly. In this case, the suiseki/suiban/stand goes closest to the central element (the scroll) and the tree goes further away. Now, still, the tree has the most mass, but it is not the heaviest visual element because the stand lends the mountain suiseki a much higher center of gravity and it grabs the eye before the tree does. Thus, to obey the artistic facts described by the principle of the steelyard, the tree/scroll/suiseki arrangement must be altered to fit the transient facts introduced by the tree species and companion placement. In these two cases we have examples of artistic compositional fact that seem to be contradictory. But they’re not - if we account for the transient circumstances involved. Note also that there could be many more important factors brought to bear by the subject of the scroll image, the size of the tree, the configuration of the pot, the type of stands used, the source of the light into the composition, the style of tree used, …and the list goes on and on. But fundamentals of artistry determine the basis of the playing field. The players on the field shape the choices for which facts are relevant. Some facts are always relevant (triangular composition), but others are made relevant by the specific circumstances. I hope this was to too convoluted and helped to shed more light on these issues.