In all seriousness, the japanese and chinese have (or maybe had before the advent of modern technology and the globalization (read death) of the worlds cultures) their own style in terms of culture, it would seem to follow in their bonsai as they create the "rules" as what they perceive to be aesthetically pleasing. Did the rules create the style or did the style create the rules? I would venture to say a little of both.
About not creating the art, the same let us say for cars, I am not going to say that america invented the internal combustion engine driven car cause i am not sure if we did but i am almost positive that the chinese or japanese didn't, though they have added ALOT to this particular undertaking . I personally think (and god knows how much trouble that has gotten me into) that until quite recently asian cars were from the school of small, highly engineered, and practical while american made were big and loud (and the antonyms of the words describing asian cars above) and British cars were " could you pass the grey poupon " (Sorry had to throw that in). They were seperate schools of thought in terms of design yet i wouldn't have said asian cars didn't have their own style cause the americans invented the car, or started the practice of bonsai.
Does that make any sense? Of course it doesn't. What did you expect?
Let me try a different angle. Bonsaijim you wrote:
Quote:
In most cases you see one or the other as a major influence...
If not, I don't think "c. None of the Above" means it is a Western Style..
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Even if it was not Chinese or Japanese and it was no style, that is still a style, so you either have a style with no name (sounds fine to me, bad for judges, critics, politicians, and any sort of discussion), Western style (clique, just focus on the art - or is it horticulture?), or bonsai with an american influence, or japanese influence, or chinese feel (essence-beautiful word Bonsaijim)
Alright one more, lets say maybe you're talking about great leaders and with my limited knowledge of great leaders and brain full of hollywood fiction (though i take this movie for the truth) you watch Braveheart and I say he was a great leader(clique), but i wouldn't say he was a great Scottish (Irish?) leader though i am sure many people would. What i mean is regardless of whether he was Scottish or Polish or Irish or Italian he was a great leader. That is the way i try to observe the trees I see that others style. I enjoy the look of the tree. could i put some more i's in this paragraph.
I have finally taken the time to write one of those horrendously long threads that i abhor.
Thank you Bonsaitalk
mike