This is an odd thing, but this is what I can glean from reviewing the posts:
1) It appears that an editorial article at artofbonsai.org titled, "
Ownership and Artistic Credit in Bonsai" was illustrated using a photograph that had been submitted as an entry to the North America vs. Europe contest there before the judging had finalized. (See
Entry #NA085)
2) The caption beneath the editorial photo identified, by name, the owner of a bonsai entered in an active contest at artofbonsai.org, as well as the names of two extremely well-known artists who influenced its design.
3) There's been concern that the article text casts doubt on the entry used to illustrate it, by association. For example:
Quote:
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Originally Posted by From the Editorial
One of the most often asked question on this subject is, “When does a purchased bonsai become that of the new owners?” The answer is simple, never. Well almost never, there is one exception that I will explore in detail later.
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4) Finally, it appears some post or post(s) expressing concern about this issue were removed from the discussion there, and replaced with an
editorial comment,
Quote:
Editor note:
The tree brought up in this post was not discussed in the article, no undue attention was drawn to it, nor will such be allowed. The only attention that is being drawn to the subject is by those who think attention should not be drawn to it. Think about it.
Our judges are world class artists in their own right, I trust in their integrity and honesty, as should all involved.
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I think that summarizes the FACTS. My personal opinion is that this is a very difficult situation to correct at this point, and it's part of what makes running a fair and impartial contest difficult. The best practice is for the judges and facilitators to stay completely removed from discussion or participation, at least until the awards have been finalized.
The only "right thing" to do, in my opinion, would have been to pull the article until the judging was complete and to apologize privately to the folks involved. It would also be appropriate to establish a policy not to use photos for illustrative or decorative purposes until the contest had concluded.
Regards,
Matt
Apologies in advance if any of the links above break or change. They were correct at the time they were posted. If someone has a different understanding of the issues or more information, they're welcome to clarify!