Asian Culture: The Reason You Bonsai?

RonMartin(deceased)

With me it was a bit of boredom while in the military. While in base operations waiting for the plane to get fixed I happened upon a magazine that had a few pictures of bonsai in it. Thought they were pretty cool but did nothing about it for several years.
BUT I was in Japan at the time so I guess you could say there was an Asian influence. )
I think that magazine is still around somewhere in one of those foot lockers in the attic.
I actually really got the bug years later in Napa California. First teacher was a man named Arnold. But he was Swedish. Go figure.

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bnsaijim

I guess my answer is No. Wishing I was born something I'm not really has nothing to do with bonsai for me. I guess I'm maybe attracted to the "romanticized" aspects of the Far East, as are most but that is true of several cultures for me.

Was always into martial arts, etc. but never as a sole dedication as an asia-phile... I'm 5'-2", grew up in a lousy part of town and didn't really want to half take people's crap.

First saw bonsai in shop in the mall at 16. Have always had an interest in art and gardening fomr mother, father was the woodworking power tool influence...
All fits together now...

Just a WASP-mutt from upstate NY, now a naturalized Texican. Mostly learned on my own using whatever maerial suits my fancy- traditional as well as native.

In the last few years I've done workshops/studied with some of the best folks out there- only two trained in Asia. Now my teacher/mentor is a Limey transplant, self taught... go figure! ;^)

I admire the disciplined Japanese approach as well as the Chinese manner of interpretations but I have my own visual library. I more admire what I'm seeing from Europe and some of the Americans.

I, like Walter, believe that bonsai has transcended cultural boundaries and hope someday only the name will allude to it's Asian origins.

Jim Stone
TX

Ralph

Egg, asiaphile, fetish, whatever... my love of things asian has blossomed. I have always had a wonder for cultures outside of my own. In recent years it has become more asian, I have an asian wife, I bonsai, I'm fascinated with chinese history, I love sashimi, I will dig a koi pond this fall (but decorate it with mostly Texas natives). The thought of moving to Taiwan for a few years is constantly on the periphery. Bonsai was a natural extension of my love of gardening, and the asian influences of my life. Now I just wish I had artistic ability.

__________________
Emerging from winter slumber
Bonsai trees burst buds anew
Spring is upon us!


-Paul S.

FredL

XA, for me, Bonsai will always be inextricably twined with my memories of Japan and certain aspects of that culture that I admire intensely. Not that I don't have great respect, admiration even, for some of the current Western Masters (Yes, Walter, even those most hostile to all that "Oriental hocus pocus" that I'm so fond of!), but, I personally feel that Bonsai looses alot of its "punch" when divorced from some of the "cultural baggage" that at least some of us feel is of great value and contributes greatly to what makes Bonsai precious to us.

I guess most central to that Japanese cultural baggage would be the veneration of the past, tradition and those who have gone before us. I associate these things with Bonsai. I don't think these things were ever the dominant themes in the West that they were in even the fairly recent past in Japan, but I feel their almost complete loss in contemporary Western, especially American culture is an enormous loss for all of us, a loss that is not even recognized among most younger Westerners.

I find that ancient trees, whether in nature or in small pots, evoke a sense of awe in me unlike almost any other feeling evoked in almost any other circumstance. My experience has been that this spirit and its importance is unappreciated to the same degree in any other circumstances as much as it is within the practice of Japanese Bonsai. Appreciating the beauty of the art of Bonsai, important as it is, is not quite the same thing. It is this sense of awe which I belive to be the unique contribution of Japan to Bonsai culture and which is so important, at least to my appreciation of Bonsai.

Thanks for an interesting and stimulating thread, Fred

Craig Cowing

This is a very good question. I suspect that some initially become interested in bonsai because of it’s Asian origins, but eventually discover that the heart of the art of bonsai transcends national origins.

My ethnic background is all British—English and Irish. The English part from way back—the Mayflower & Plymouth Rock, that sort of thing. My Irish ancestors came over recently—during the 1800’s. ;-)

For me, I have always been interested in Asian art. My father has always been interested in Chinese and Japanese culture, and still has items of Asian art around the house, some of which I inherited when they downsized their house a few years ago. His interest in Asian culture was also a factor in his learning Tai Chi and karate, although the fundamental reason was health not because it was Asian.

So, I grew up with Asian art around me, but that was not what got me interested in bonsai at all. I also have been interested in growing things since I was in college. In college and grad school it was houseplants. In my first church I discovered vegetable gardening. Now it’s bonsai, although that isn’t a phase—it’s here to stay. It has helped me (and will help me) through a divorce this year, and continues to promise to bring good things into my life.

So, at bottom level my interest in bonsai comes out of my interest in nature and in growing things. My interest in suiseki and viewing stones comes from the same source--an interest in nature, captured in an art form that originates in Asia but has transcenced boundaries.

Craig Cowing
NY
Zone 5b/6a
Sunset 37

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I'm not finished yet, neither are my trees.

saint

I had always thought that bonsai were very cool but I had never been really "into" plants and gardening. My wife and I moved into a new apartment with a roof deck and we thought we woudl buy a few plants to liven up the place.

I used to work with Arthur Atkinson at the Ad agency and I bought my first bonsai from him. I enjoyed it from the start and find its a good way to mentally prepare for the day or to relax after a stressful day, and I derive a great deal of satisfaction (and sometimes frustration) from my trees.

maybe it's meditation by bonsai but Asian culture had nothing to do with it. Since I started I've become much more appreciative of the cultural aspects of bonsai but that doesn't really effect the enjoyment I get from messing with my trees.

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Best Regards,

Leslie St. John
Barbados
West Indies


Remember: Opinions are like bellybuttons, everyone's got one

diamondlyme84

I do have a high love and fascination for/of Asian culture, but I don't think that's why I'm interested in bonsai. I'm in bonsai more because it's like living art, and I seem to like being able to create something artistic and then keep it alive.

__________________
People don't like me.

bnsaijim

To build on something Fred said, and to stir up some debate... ;^)

"I guess most central to that Japanese cultural baggage would be the veneration of the past, tradition and those who have gone before us. I associate these things with Bonsai. I don't think these things were ever the dominant themes in the West that they were in even the fairly recent past in Japan, but I feel their almost complete loss in contemporary Western, especially American culture is an enormous loss for all of us, a loss that is not even recognized among most younger Westerners."

One of the key things to remember is that the Japanese and the Chinese do not, nor ever had, a monopoly on bonsai. Many other cultures and civilizations practiced versions of artistic horticulture that meet the definition.

Were Asian themes ever predominant in "Western" bonsai? Simply refer to any pre-90's publication. All pay homage and refer back to Japanese traditional practice.

As to their complete loss: Who cares! An enormous loss? I don't think so.

There are those of us who have embraced the underlying artistic principles, who interject our impressions of nature, dispensing with the mystical trappings and elementary rules. Yet we continue to do good bonsai.

The "asian clothing" provides an atmosphere, one "framework" within which to develop and present these works. This is now considered limitting at it's basest levels. To grow, one could certainly delve deeper into an understanding of the Asian psyche, or, as some choose, follow their own path.

Most folks choose to do neither, unfortunately.

The question that occurs is - Does playing cultural dress-up bring you some superior entitlement or enlightenment? Or, do you become another carbon copy; a cultural larcenist, subject to ridicule at best or worse, a gaijin targeted for a special brand of contempt.

For those "young Westerners" who allegedly practice bonsai without embracing these dominant themes, more power to them! This is how barriers might be broken. How this is possible, even inadvertently, is beyond my comprehension due to the continued pervasiveness of the Asiaphilic Romantics.

Wearing a kimono, eating sushi and sipping green tea don't help you do better bonsai... A keen eye, vision, empathy and a skilled hand do.

Sincerely,

Jim Stone
TX

"The only zen on the tops of mountains is the zen you bring up there." Robert M. Persig

Jonny D

First of al let me quote:



Were the perpetual underachievers, should have always done better.



What's soccer, thats a good question because if your sensibe you call it football! (and i don't mean american football).

Beyond that to bulid on what Jim and other have said I agree, but I think there will aways be an element of asian culture in it you can't get away from it, I think Walter not meaning to summed it up by saying



although it has become an international art form you still asociate asian culture with it and will alwas be a part of it, just like footbal will always be asociated with engish culture by just the sheer fact that english and football (soccer) appeared in the same line.

However, I think alot of what has been said is good, and although I like the Japanese mentality toward life as a whole, continuing my passion for art was at the forfront of my mind when i started bonsai but just in a different way, and although I originaly took inspiration from asian culture for it, i have learnt that there are alot of good western bonsai artists and trees out there, and to look at whats in my own back garden (Yorkshire if anyone no's it) for inspiration. I'm from Yorkshire my art should reflect it, every painter has done that in the past.