salix

IRT OMC:

Correct me if I'm wrong, but at least part of what you're saying is that the unbalanced lantana seems unbalanced because it moves outside of the 'frame' of the piece. By expanding the pot, either vertically or horizontally, we extend the mental frame around the bonsai, providing a context in which the tree's form makes sense. The tall pot provides that context by giving us a traditional form to draw on, since going outside of the lines is commonly seen in cascade or other tall-pot styles. The wide, shallow pot provides that context by providing a piece of ground over which the tree can be seen to hang, providing context by means of the mind's natural expectation that a tree is anchored to a piece of earth. Both pots balance the piece by providing an explanation, by providing our minds with a function to explain the form.