bnsaijim

"This debate centers on slanting / cascading bonsai and not on informal uprights. Although on the informal upright bonsai that you showed, the rootage is in fact on the side away from the lean. "

The universal theme is how does rootage contribute to design. The underlying assumption, with whichj I concur, is that a specific style is indicated by it's roots.

I prefer not to lump trees into the broad categories but since you seem to require pigeonholing I'll entertain you.

Your tree is barely an informal upright. The visual center of gravity is weakly over the root base, there is strong directional movement to the left and I therefore contend that while you may not consider it a slant style it is subject to the very elements that make the tree that started this discussion succesful.

Your tree on the other hand lacks significant rootage on the right side. Because of this deficiency my brain keeps waiting for it to seesaw back to the right again.

While trees in nature often hang precariously, some even knowing full well they are in violation of physical and artistic laws.

So, while nature provides us with inspiration and some appeal to "law", as does "Artistry", neither provides all the answers.

Bonsai is NOT simply a tree in a pot. Perhaps it once was but not by modern definition. It requires artistry. It is a comprehensive image of miniaturization, naturalism and age. What works in nature does not always make good bonsai. What makes good art does not always make good bonsai.

"Don't make your trees look like bonsai, make your bonsai look like trees."

I'm starting to detest this Naka-ism almost as much as "let the birds fly through". Hmmm. It doesn't give one license to use nature as the ultimate guide. Maybe this is simply saying stop producing S-curved poodle padded Karate Kid cookie cutter mallsai. Reciting it till the cows come home certainly doesn't make you any kind of sage.

__________________
Jim Stone
Seki Bonsai Studio
sekibonsai.com
Santa Fe, TX