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Hi Fred,

you ask:
"I imagine you noticed my assertion in another thread to the effect that Bonsai, at least in the past, occupied a slightly different place within Japanese culture than Western Art does within ours. I find myself wodering what your thoughts are regarding that comment."

Yes, I did see that. I'm not sure that it is accurate. I'm not saying that you're wrong, but I have to believe that bonsai occupied exactly the same place in the culture and society as, say, paintings did/do in Western society - and still does. It is an elite thing, available mostly to the wealthy (the best examples of bonsai/art) and dabbled in by many of all sorts of economic backgrounds. It is something that is held cheaply by the lower and middle classes and regarded - and displayed accordingly - highly by the upper classes. I can cite no study to confirm my observations, but that's what I believe anyway.

"Also, whether you think Bonsai is becoming increasingly irrelevant to the "New Japanese". And whether Bonsai will ever become as relvant to our culture as other forms of secular art."

On both counts, not at all. In Japan, today as always, the large proportion of citizens has no interest in bonsai. Nothing wrong with that. As for bonsai becoming relevant or even important in the Western culture as has other art forms, no way. It is not something that the West generally regards as art - just as David DeGroot stated when I interviewed him - bonsai as art is about as obscure as driftwood collecting as art.

It's not that it's culturally different, but that it is percived to be foreign; it is percieved by the Western world to be "other-worldly," and so will always be a curiosity and regarded as outside the realm of our culture.

That's no problem as far as I'm concerned. Most art forms are very insular and important only to those who participate - or who can afford to decorate their lives with it. The more it costs, the better it is to decroate your life with, and, the more exclusive it will be - which makes it all the more enticing (to a very small number if individuals).

Kind regards,
Andy Rutledge
zone 8, Texas

21-Oct-2003	#9
K.A. Rutledge Guest Posts: n/a	Hi Fred, you ask: "I imagine you noticed my assertion in another thread to the effect that Bonsai, at least in the past, occupied a slightly different place within Japanese culture than Western Art does within ours. I find myself wodering what your thoughts are regarding that comment." Yes, I did see that. I'm not sure that it is accurate. I'm not saying that you're wrong, but I have to believe that bonsai occupied exactly the same place in the culture and society as, say, paintings did/do in Western society - and still does. It is an elite thing, available mostly to the wealthy (the best examples of bonsai/art) and dabbled in by many of all sorts of economic backgrounds. It is something that is held cheaply by the lower and middle classes and regarded - and displayed accordingly - highly by the upper classes. I can cite no study to confirm my observations, but that's what I believe anyway. "Also, whether you think Bonsai is becoming increasingly irrelevant to the "New Japanese". And whether Bonsai will ever become as relvant to our culture as other forms of secular art." On both counts, not at all. In Japan, today as always, the large proportion of citizens has no interest in bonsai. Nothing wrong with that. As for bonsai becoming relevant or even important in the Western culture as has other art forms, no way. It is not something that the West generally regards as art - just as David DeGroot stated when I interviewed him - bonsai as art is about as obscure as driftwood collecting as art. It's not that it's culturally different, but that it is percived to be foreign; it is percieved by the Western world to be "other-worldly," and so will always be a curiosity and regarded as outside the realm of our culture. That's no problem as far as I'm concerned. Most art forms are very insular and important only to those who participate - or who can afford to decorate their lives with it. The more it costs, the better it is to decroate your life with, and, the more exclusive it will be - which makes it all the more enticing (to a very small number if individuals). Kind regards, Andy Rutledge zone 8, Texas