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Guest
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Hey Robo,
Perfection is relative, just like most other ideals. Even the most prized diamonds are the ones with a tiny flaw - the "perfect" ones are less valuable.
Bonsai is an art like any other, where we have to suspend some disbelief or we have to agree to be drawn into the story that the artist is telling. With a painting of a horse running in a meadow, we know that it is not a horse running in a meadow, but rather an artist's rendering of such using paint on a canvas. We allow ourselves to be drawn into the work and agree to participate in the realism (or the fantasy!) that the artist is trying to portray.
Now, there are aids and hinderances to our agreement with this portrayal, perhaps: poor composition or good composition, good proportion or poor proportion, good use of color or bad use of color, appropriate or inappropriate perspective, etc...
It is not different with bonsai. Bonsai will virtually never be without flaws, but it is how these flaws are compensated for or even utilized as compositional elements that help to give the work artistic value (in the eyes of the viewer).
"Perfection" in a bonsai work is not generally going to be embodied by a lack of natural flaws - all trees have these and so they are, therefore, quite natural. However, artistry can triumph over these flaws, dependent on the skill, vision and inspiration of the artist, to render them moot.
You're right, the perfect bonsai does not exist in all likelihood and if it did, it would not necessarily be as beautiful or as inspiring as a less perfect one that has been created with great skill and inspiration and artistic vision.
Yet another thing to consider is that a tree in a pot is nice, but it's not how bonsai should really be displayed and not the fullness of bonsai art. Bonsai art is the tree in a pot on a stand, displayed with 1 or two other relevant companion pieces for context, reference and to complete the story that the bonsai tree is attempting to tell.
Kind regards,
Andy Rutledge
zone 8, Texas
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