bonsaiTALK Community - View Single Post - Smoke and Mirrors

I think there are two important misrepresentations appearing in this thread. Most everyone sees that they are wrong, but can't figure out why. So, let's take this in a new direction and talk about the two questions in a different light.

1. Are people who purchase pre-styled bonsai "cheating"?

2. Is the art of bonsai in a state of flux, or is it stagnating?

I say answer the questions with questions.

1. Is a collector of priceless works of art considered to be "cheating" when he purchases a Picasso to display in his home?

2. Is art stagnant just because it works within a set of accepted guidelines?

Regarding the first, I say it depends on the intent of the buyer. If the buyer intends to turn around and display these pieces as his own creations, then yes, it is cheating, up to the point that he restyles the tree on his own. If the intent is simply to display the beautiful works of art, then his purpose is accomplished the moment the transaction is complete.

Regarding the second, let's create an analogy. All artists working within a certain style follow the same guidelines. Realist painters follow perspective. Surrealists most specifically do not employ proper perspective. Which of these is right? And who is to say realistic art is stagnant because it continues to use the same rules it has used for centuries? Modern day realists search for new emotions to evoke and new stories to tell. Bonsai does the same thing.

One last thought:

Can bonsai be considered art if its creation is merely the repetition of the same or similar images (versions) of a tree in a pot?

No offense intended, but this statement is patently absurd. To imply that an art form is stagnant just because it continues to use the same medium is wrong in so many ways. This statement is akin to saying that all movies are the same because they are captured on film, or that all literature is the same because it is written on paper. Or, for an even better analogy, that all of van Gogh's still life paintings were stagnant because they all involved the same or similar images of flowers or fruit.

2-Dec-2004	#9
Frogboy B.S. Detector Join Date: Nov-2004 Location: Atlanta, GA Country: USA USDA Zone: 7 AHS Heat Zone: 7 Posts: 172	I think there are two important misrepresentations appearing in this thread. Most everyone sees that they are wrong, but can't figure out why. So, let's take this in a new direction and talk about the two questions in a different light. 1. Are people who purchase pre-styled bonsai "cheating"? 2. Is the art of bonsai in a state of flux, or is it stagnating? I say answer the questions with questions. 1. Is a collector of priceless works of art considered to be "cheating" when he purchases a Picasso to display in his home? 2. Is art stagnant just because it works within a set of accepted guidelines? Regarding the first, I say it depends on the intent of the buyer. If the buyer intends to turn around and display these pieces as his own creations, then yes, it is cheating, up to the point that he restyles the tree on his own. If the intent is simply to display the beautiful works of art, then his purpose is accomplished the moment the transaction is complete. Regarding the second, let's create an analogy. All artists working within a certain style follow the same guidelines. Realist painters follow perspective. Surrealists most specifically do not employ proper perspective. Which of these is right? And who is to say realistic art is stagnant because it continues to use the same rules it has used for centuries? Modern day realists search for new emotions to evoke and new stories to tell. Bonsai does the same thing. One last thought: Can bonsai be considered art if its creation is merely the repetition of the same or similar images (versions) of a tree in a pot? No offense intended, but this statement is patently absurd. To imply that an art form is stagnant just because it continues to use the same medium is wrong in so many ways. This statement is akin to saying that all movies are the same because they are captured on film, or that all literature is the same because it is written on paper. Or, for an even better analogy, that all of van Gogh's still life paintings were stagnant because they all involved the same or similar images of flowers or fruit.