Emperor Fish

Smoke,

I agree with your sentiments and direction, and believe that you have exactly the right approach towards making bonsai better and making better bonsai through exhibition. We are all of us 'backyarders' when growing and caring for our trees, yet the art that we practice reaches its most pronounced and highest, or purest, levels when what we have accomplished is shown in some sort of formal setting where it can be seen together with other good examples of bonsai and appreciated by all who care to look.

A good exhibit (or "show" as we like to call them), should help to enthuse people with a desire to create / buy / own - (no distinction is necessary or desirable) - better bonsai. These better bonsai then get shown, and hopefully there is the beginning of a virtuous circle developing where the standard becomes better as more people strive for improvement and perfection. This seems to have already happened in most of Europe already for whatever reasons, as the old breed of people who practice bonsai as some arcane horticultural experiment get fewer and the people who view bonsai as art become more vocal and accepted as the mainstream thinking, rather than dangerous cranks. I get the feeling through reading people's thoughts here and elsewhere, that in the US the battle is still not yet won. I am convinced that a great deal of this is due to the differences in physical geographic size and cultural acceptances. The first of these creates obvious difficulties when displaying or exhibiting bonsai. Discussing the second can be like walking the tightrope of political correctness and offend some people's delicate sensibilities so I respectfully abstain.

I have spoken to many people - family, friends and colleagues about bonsai. None have yet had a difficulty in accepting bonsai as a transitory, collaborative art form. I wonder if this experience is shared by others?

However, I believe that one of the problems with bonsai art being accepted as such is that which you allude to. This problem is the way people are introduced to bonsai right from the start. Bonsai clubs hold shows at country fairs and flower shows - downplaying the art and accentuating the horticulture. These people seldom try to create an artistic, evocative, representative scene, but rather, simply plonk some trees on a table in a seemingly haphazard way and the public dutifully files past these 'displays' on their way to the beer tent. Bonsai is shown alongside all the other crafts. What we are tacitly implying when we do this is; "Bonsai is easy", "Bonsai does not require vision" and of course "Bonsai is most definitely NOT art."

There are also very good exhibits of bonsai, but, (big but), these shows are mainly preaching to the converted already. I was lucky - my introduction to bonsai was at a bonsai exhibit in a local college. Everything about the display was professionally done to improve the experience for the viewer (me). Tables at corect viewing heights, tablecloths, backdrops, stands and even specialised lighting. The result was a great experience and an emphasis on that experience being an evocative artistic one. If the aim was to get people to practice bonsai as an artful endeavour rather than a horticultural experiment then it worked for at least one person there.

In answer to your closing question:

I got better at appreciating good bonsai - my eye improved.

Good luck in your endeavours for next year Al, I wish you well. There may be many motivations for wanting to display bonsai at the best level you are able, not all of them entirely selfless, but if the end result is better, more artful bonsai displayed, then personally I don't care if anyone is only doing it to have a better tree than Bert did last year or to say "Look what my fat wallet bought!" The end result is really what is important rather than how it was achieved if what you want is good bonsai. The rather faint whiff of impropiety that is hung over some people who realise that a great tree can just as easily be bought for display as created for display is, I believe, yet another hangover from the prize vegetable-grower mentality that surrounds the display of horticulture at flower shows. Luckily in the UK this is also on the decrease.

A friend of mine at my study group has only been practising bonsai for 18 months but has some very fine trees and constantly discusses artful display. One of his trees was awarded best in show at a recent inter-club display. He quite rightly was very proud of this honour and made me smile when someone asked him how long he had been working on the tree. "Oh, about three months." he replied.

Regards,

Fish.

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