I admit it.......... IT WAS ME!............ Im the one who missed the field trip to the modern art museum. I wasn't very interested in stuff like that in elementary school and played hooky.
I think the term ,extreme exaggeration, sums up this style of nebari quite well. And that's what I like about it. It's true that the multi trunk trident needs the large base to balance the top but this could be accomplished with individual nebari radiating from the base. The fused nebari are not necessary for balance. As pointed out by others, exaggeration is common in bonsai. I wonder though if some of these extreme exaggerations should be placed in the penjin category. I don't know much about penjin but from what I've read it sounds that most anything goes. Where's the crossover point between bonsai and penjing?
Tony