nsmar4211

Hmm. Seems to me that the original post was along the lines of "seen it before not impressed anymore" so that's what I'll speak to.

Overexposure can happen. I've heard several times, "Oh, that's another one of XXX's trees" said in a bored tone of voice. (Insert your favorite stylist into XXX) I remember the first time I visit a "real" bonsai nursery........trees everywhere.........everyone of them awesome in my mind. Fast forward-trees everywhere, and many of them looked right over. Why? Cause it's "another" formal pine..... "another" cascading juniper..... etc. Why do I look past it? I've seen it already. After the 100th banyan style, it has to be an outstanding tree to catch the eye.

But, does it mean I don't want to see more trees (real or pictures)? Nope, bring on the trees! Does it mean I've been overexposed to that style of tree? Yes. But, is it a bad thing? Well, it means that a tree has to be that much better/unique to stick in my head.

Now, the question of seeing the same pictures everywhere you turn..... I've run into this myself. I've thought, okay, there's got to be more examples of this than the same tree over and over. I think the neatest pictures are the ones where the tree was famous 20 years ago, and they do an update picture..... but that's a different topic. Who's at fault though? The artist for his/her tree being famous? The editors for not seeking out new material? Us for not encouraging new material? Or all? Or none?

A solution could be to hold more contests for unknown material. To draw from my photography and craft experiences, a fair/contest usually has a clause that the item in question must have never been shown before and must have been made within a certain time period. This is to stop people from entering the same thing over and over and over and to give a variety. You might laugh, who'd enter the same thing year after year? People do. So, if we want new pictures, a new contest-only trees that have not been "shown" in other contests before.

Desensitized........that's part of human nature. One reason why children bring delight is because they've not seen it before and can remind us to really look at "it" (whatever it is) again, and remember why we liked it. If treated right, beginners in any hobby can do the same. If humans couldnt desensitize, no one could live near sawmills... or under the constant threat of whatever natural/manmade disaster would come up next. Its the brains way of absorbing only new information.


In response to dtree's statement, not wanting to keep doing the same thing over and over is not an "American" thing. Stick a human on an assembly line doing the same thing over and over and watch them get bored.... regardless of nationality. Humans are a herd animal, but we also think for ourselves. If everyone was only satisfied with the "cookie cutter" bonsai, think of how much we would have missed. The first person who jinned a tree probably was met with ridicule.... but now everyone is doing it. Encouraging creativity does sometimes come with some, um, "interesting" results... but it keeps more people in the hobby than saying "Your tree MUST look like one of these". Is it disrespect to the old styles and old masters to make a "new" style and a "new" master? I don't believe it is. Is it moving on? Yes. Is it bad? No. I don't see bonsai as going downhill in terms of 'masterpiece' trees. Perhaps the real issue is people are afraid to show their "new" style of tree for fear of the "old school" bonsaists ridiculing them for not conforming. A mentality like that will cause the art to stagnate.


Graydon, I can sympathize with not wanting to "clutter" your mind with pictures of other peoples trees. I feel the same way when an art teacher tells me I have to paint/draw/sculpt something in the same style as another artist. My first instinct? No way, I want to do it in my style not someone elses! Gut reaction. But, then step back and think about it.......by imitating, I can see the strengths and weaknesses of that artists style. I can learn from it, and then apply it to my own. In music, one must first play what the "old masters" played in order to build a base from which to play a unique style. In bonsai, by looking at pictures, you get a better idea of what you do and don't like in a tree.

Susan and crew