bonsaial1

It was brought up by Adam about what my take is on what defines a bonsai. Some will say it is a tree or plant in a pot. That is the literal translation of the kanji. Well for me… it is a little deeper than that. Not all paintings are art. Not all music is art. Not all movies are art.

Disclaimer: this is the sole opinion of Al Keppler, a small bunion on the buttocks of all that is bonsai. This essay is intended for the purpose of discussion in the hopes that we may all find common ground.

What bonsai is?
An artistic representation of a tree developed for the sole purpose of exhibition. The tree will contain the artistic attributes necessary to convey through abstraction the image of aged tree in a pot. Bonsai is about imagery. Bonsai is about the exhibition of fine trees. The exhibition does not necessarily have to be professional. It may be exhibition at a club event or simply showing ones bonsai to some friends. The point is, bonsai is about the image, even if its owner only enjoys the image. Why should the owner be satisfied with less than best? Bonsai are best enjoyed when viewed. (How’s that for a quote!) I do not know about you, but I want the best view possible!

Bonsai is about an attitude of calm fury. The best oxymoron I can use to describe what takes place by the artist when bitten. There is always something better to work on, there is always something better to see. It is this seeing that helps to fuel the fury to push on. To work towards a goal. What is the goal? Do you have a goal? I have one, its private, but its there just that same.

What bonsai is not?
Bonsai is not about propagation. It is not about making cuttings or planting seeds, or air layering off a shoot for a tree. It is not about grafting. This is not bonsai. While all bonsai may start from these methods, they do not start out as bonsai. At this point, they are no more than starts of plants that you hope may become bonsai in the future. They are not Potensai; they are not bonsai in training. They are starts, cuttings and seedlings. Anyone can plant seeds and most farmers can graft a plant or take cuttings. They do this all the time. My mom used to break starts off geraniums every time we went to a nursery. (Don’t you hate those people)? Did this make my mom a bonsai enthusiast? I think not!

My opinion is that most people practicing bonsai have no need for layering or cuttings or seedlings for that matter. This may be of importance if one was doing it for propagating stock for say a workshop or classes or something of this nature. First, you have to know what a bonsai looks like before you go taking cuttings or layers off a larger tree. For instance if you cannot pick stock out of a nursery, what makes you think taking a layer or cuttings, will be easier? In fact, I think it is harder. I would rather find something that can be made into bonsai with less time, less work, and less headaches. Propagating stock from seed is just as hard as actually making artistic bonsai. If you cannot make something artistic with something from the nursery, what makes you think you can grow artistic stock from seed? It takes a lot of time and patience to grow from seed. It takes many chops, grow outs, root chops and branch grow outs to grow from seed. I feel the margin for error for someone that has no experience in bonsai is greater than buying from a nursery.

Planting something while in training into a bonsai pot does not make it a bonsai. It is now a small plant in a bonsai pot. Now don’t get me wrong here. If you wish to put you small seedling in a small bonsai pot and call it bonsai, then by all means you should do it. If you post it here, and someone says that you need to plant it into the ground, what attitude are you going to take? You know and I know that the right thing to do is plant it into the ground. So why all the hostility? You knew it was coming before you even posted it.

There you have it. My take on what makes a plant in a pot a bonsai.
Yours in bonsai, AJKeppler

__________________
I been kidding the last seven years.
no.... really!

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