BONSAI: How much art, how much craft?

BrianG

I know that my opinion has changed dramatically over the past couple of years of if there is more art or craft in creating a great bonsai. I am curious of the opinion's of other's of what they think and why?

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Cordially,
Brian

The universe is not only stranger than you imagined, it is stranger than you can imagine - R. Dawkins

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bonsaial1

Neither...With enough talent those other two will take care of themselves..

Al

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BrianBay9

I think the practice of bonsai is at least 50% religion....

BB9

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There's a difference between taking your art seriously, and taking yourself too seriously.

ianb

Ahh Al but isn't talent mostly art?

You can have all the techniques and still have crappy trees, but if you have the "eye" chances are you can pick up the techniques needed.

Cheers
Ian

zube

How much art and how much craft? Depends on the bonsai, of course!
zube

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RedPine

I'm still sore from the last art vs craft thread.

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bonsaial1

I understand the craft. I am beginning to understand what the art part is. But wthout talent I cannot seem to bring the two into focus.

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Victrinia_Ensor

I have to concur with Al. Without a latent talent for it... you may well have a tree in a pot... but will it make a desireable impression on a viewer... doubtful.

But then all of this is deeply rooted in the attitude of the individual doing it. I can think of several friends who have very loose and free thoughts about what a bonsai can and should be... within that, there are those who have a determined personal vision... and those with a kind of "let the tree determine it's own path" frame of mind. Then there are other friends who are a lot more rigid in their standards of what they view as bonsai perfection... those standards often echo established traditional views.

Either one of these extremes in perspective can produce a credible bonsai if there is a latent talent behind it. The end result being art.

Then there is that almost magical zone... where mastery lays. Rob (October) told me a story once.... He had taken one of his small trees to master Suthin (I believe it was), to be worked on a bit. There was a root that was rather strong, and very out of place with the composition...Suthin cut it off and holding that root which was a couple inches long... gave it to Robbie and said, "This is going to be a good bonsai someday. Take it home and plant it." He did... and was amazed when it grew like crazy. I've seen pictures of that mame. I still smile when I think of how Suthin could see in a little root, the beginings of a mame.

At this point in my bonsai exploration I find myself somewhere between personal vision and following the traditions that have defined the art of bonsai. But the journey ahead is never about where I am, just where I am going.

What I want, is to someday find, that I too can see the bonsai in the root.

Who knows.... maybe I will... maybe I won't. But I will revel in the journey none the less.

(big smile)

Yours most sincerely,

Victrinia

PS. I didn't vote... because I believe that without talent... one is moot, and the other can't manifest.

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Ms. Vic

Le belle cose prendono tempo...

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lehket

I said 50/50. Maybe in a few years I'll change my mind.

As for talent, talent is the ingredient that determines how far you can go, but by itself it never does very much. The most talented person in the world isn't going to produce great bonsai without learning the basics of the craft and developing their skills at working the material into a living sculpture.

To borrow an example from another field, there was a well-known chess teacher who claimed that he could take anyone of average intelligence who was willing to put in two years of serious study and turn them into a master. But when asked if he could turn anyone into a grandmaster with a few more years of study, he said no, he could not.

Another expert said that the difference between a master and a grandmaster was this: A master would spend twenty minutes deciding on the best square on which to place a knight. A grandmaster would toss the knight into the air and it would land on the best square.

The difference between the two is talent, but both have to put in a certain amount of work to develop whatever innate talent they have.

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