Hey Al,
There may be a false premise in all of this "nebari" bashing. ;-) While I freely acknowledge the basic legitimacy of each individual's opinions (we can't all like the same thing ;-), I think that the use of the term "nebari" is being perverted here a bit.
You say that the above image is your
"entry of the worst example of nebari." and it simply is not "bad" nebari. It is a characteristic that you personally do not find attractive, but it is not "bad" nebari. It is a feat of development that is both difficult to achieve and interesting (to many). In this particular case, it is
THE reason that this bonsai exists. The trunk and canopy are there only to keep the nebari alive. This was the primary focus of the artist.
Also, many criticize this kind of surface root development as "not realistic and, therefore, it is not proper." Well, bonsai is only tied to realism in as much as it is appropriate to the artist. Bonsai is not a tree in nature, rather it is an artistically rendered tree in a pot on a small scale. Bonsai are bonsai, not trees in nature. Simply applying "tree" rules to bonsai is not appripriate.
Having said all of this, there is no reason why anyone needs to like this kind of (over) developed surface root structure, even if they do acknowledge the importance of artistry in bonsai. I just hate to see it criticized for the wrong reasons.
Kind regards,
Andy Rutledge
b u n j i n | d e s i g n ::
www.bunjindesign.com
zone 8, Texas