K.A. Rutledge

Hi Earl,

You wrote:
"Maybe it would help to put this in black and white--knowing that truth always blurs absolutes: There are no "artistic" rules. As soon as anyone changes an artistic impression or expression into a rule it is no longer art but imitation. If we are talking about art, we shouldn't be talking about rules at all, we should be talking about what it is in a particular tree that moves us, speaks to our heart or takes us on an inward journey."
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I hate to single out an individual's ideas for correction, but this is simply wrong. It is clear that you have not studied art to any great degree. While there is nothing at all wrong with that, it also means that you are ill equipped to discuss artistic rules. The rules of art do exist and are important to the creation of all art in any medium.

BTW, "rules" is a poor label. As has been discussed in another thread, these "rules" are simply the useful conventions and configurations that allow an artist to more easily communicate and connect with the viewer.

I feel the need to correct your statements because they are harmful to those who may believe you. If one is going to be serious about trying to creat art, it is important to first learn what the useful conventions of artistic communication are so that one may use them in composing one's works.

I also believe that you have mischaracterized Al's statements about the Europeans. He never said that they were better people than anyone else, he simply mentioned that their lives are more closely tied to art in an everyday manner than are ours here in the States. He's right. This is not a judgment of the quality of the people. Your words sound a bit defensive and I wonder that you inferred this mischaracterization.

Further, your statement about Japanese bonsai not being better than any other country's bonsai was naive. It is clear to just about anyone who cares to look that Japanese bonsai, as a whole, is far better than that of any other place on earth, save perhaps China and Taiwan (small pockets). You choice to impose some sort of artistic equivilency on the bonsai of all cultures shows a disconnect with reality and is damaging to the concept of quality and discrimination. There is such a thing as good work and work that is lacking of quality. It serves no one to try and say otherwise.

Japanese bonsai are not better because they are made by Japanese people. The broad example of Japanese bonsai is of higher quality because there is an abundance of quality material and an abundance of growers and artists that have learned the concepts of quality for bonsai and work first to imbue their trees with the foundational elements of bonsai quality - a foundation that artists can bulid upon to express art more easily, more effectively and more strongly because of the basics that have formed much of ther material. The artists there ain't half bad either.

As has been said many times before (and it is stupid that it needs to be said at all), there is nothing wrong with pursuing bonsai as a simple, enjoyable pasttime without concern for artistry. Those who do this, however, need not feel the need to impose their ideals upon and criticize those who work to create art with bonsai and recognize the distinctions between high quality and poor quality work.

Commenting on, characterizing and dissecting art, while presenting information as "fact," would also require that those so engaged also have studied art and have a firm grasp of it. Making patently false statments based on ignorance is no way to contribute positively to a discussion and harms those who may believe these words. Surely those who are not well acquainted with the intricacies of art can contribute to bonsai discussions in other ways, while not putting forth vaccuous information for the uninitiated to accept as fact. I hope that we can agree that it is good to work to avoid that situation.

Kind regards,
Andy Rutledge
zone 8, Texas