Attila

This is a very complex and interesting subject: cultivating bonsai because of your love of horticulture or love of the arts.
I feel lucky that I am fascinated by both aspects, so it's a double pleasure and that's why I could never get tired of it.

But I believe that the first reason just as valid as the second. Pursuing bonsai for the love of nature and horticulture would make one focus on the aspect that I would call "miniaturization". You want your bonsai look like a minature tree, in addition to keeping it healthy. You don't really care about art theories and design principles.

What makes this issue so complex is that as soon as you set your mind to create a miniature tree, you cannot completely divorce yourself from the artistic aspect of it, no matter how much you want to. As soon as you set your mind to create a miniature tree, to a certain degree you are already in the realm of artistic expression: you are using a little tree to symbolize a mature, or an old tree. You are using your creativity and imagination to achieve that, and, according to a lot of art theories, these are the only necessary and sufficient criteria to the process to be called artistic creation.
So, when you say that artistic consideration is not your concern, what you are saying is that creativity and imagination is not a self-conscious activity. However, by virtue of your goal (to create a miniature tree), this process is till present at an instinctive level. You still want your tree to have certain characteristics, such as taper, crown, ect., and you are still having an aesthetic experience when you look at a tree.
I am curious how you feel about having an aesthetic experience (an example would be when you admire the beauty of nature), but if you did in fact experience that feeling, it is your "artistic side" that triggered it.

So, this is why I feel that one cannot take art out of bonsai, and it is rather a matter of semantics when we try to do it.

Of course, some people spend more time and effort on consciously studying the artistic process, and some people spend no time at all. And we all have varying degrees of success in creating trees that touch our heart and soul.

By the way, there is a "thing" called outsider art. It became the subject of discussion in the art world lately, and it is very controversial in that some call it art at the highest level, others claim that it has nothing to do with art. The fact is that some of these works are exhibited at art museums, and some actually were sold at art auctions for hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Outsider art is created by people with mental disorders. These works are paintings and drawings created without the intention of "doing art". The author just liked to paint or draw, but was not aware that "he is an artist". A lot of critics call this the highest level of art because it is completely honest, no trace of facetiousness or artifice, it expresses the creators innermost feelings, unabridged.

So, you see why trying to "ignore art" on a conscious level may be virtually impossible. It is part of us, humans. It is the way we operate, whether we know it or not.

The use of "rustic" is very interesting and I actually like it. But it has nothing to do with artistic value.
An object referred to as rustic can be artless as well as artistic beyond description.
It refers to a certain quality of everyday objects. This quality can also be described as unrefined, rough, primitive, homely, simple, unpolished.
But here is the problem: these qualities also define the Japanese concept of Wabi-Sabi. To me it is the King of arts, the artless art. The art that is so refined that it doesn't even look like art anymore.
So, when you try to separate rustic from art, you are right in the middle of the Zen philosophy, or the Arts and Crafts movement in the history of Western art.

I completely agree. Discouraging people from doing bonsai at any level is not something that I would do. As long as they are interested in any aspect of it, it can only widen the popularity of this great activity.

I had fun thinking about and exploring this subject,
Thanks for the opportunity,
Attila