Tree in a pot…or not!

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

__________________
Real men don't wear coats with "happi" in the title.

Advertisement

Attila

There are some real gems in this one Al. I laughed from the office all the way to home.

Thumbs up!

Attila

Will_Heath

Careful Al, talk like that can make you very unpopular and could lead to you being labeled as an elitist or worse yet, an artist.

Good article, I enjoyed reading it, well said.

Will Heath

Pman0

Great words Al...based on about 2 months straight reading through these forums, I realize that I'm going to have to plant my saplings in the ground for at least a few years before I can even consider 'training' them...

PMan0

tuckerg

Nail on the head Al -great article.But wait till the "i know better" mob hear about it

Adam_MA

Al,
I want to sincerely thank you for taking the time to answer my question in such a well thought out and clearly stated manner! Being able to hear/read points of view from those who are at a level I am not at yet (but WILL be some day) help to put things into perspective. I would also be interested to hear from others, like Walter, Matt, Carl, Ron, etc... about their personal feeling as to what defines bonsai to them.

Again thank you Al for answering my question.

Adam

Treebeard

What bonsai is: A bonsai is a small tree in a pot that resembles a big tree in the ground, and stirs emotion in ME first and the viewer second. This emotion could be tranquility, peace, discord, discomfort, wonder, awe and so on. The mechanics of how this emotion is evoked are secondary to the end result. The tricks employed and conventions followed are merely a means to an end. I don't absorb artistry readily so studying art is of little help to me, what is of much greater help to me is trial and error and visual comparison. By visual comparison I mean studying pictures of bonsai I like and dislike and trying to figure out why I like the ones I do and what it is about the actual look of the tree that makes me like or dislike it. Whatever visual technique works once gets recycled and used again, what doesn't work is put to ones side to be perhaps used in a different configuration or discarded completely.

I have a great love of the English countryside and in particular my own locality, and my bonsai must reflect this. I am aware of the origins of bonsai and respect those origins, but I want my own bonsai to resembe my local trees as much as possible and not trees from half way round the world.

Bonsai is a source of great frustration for me. Frustration at the timescales involved (sigline notwithstanding). Frustration at the difficulty in imposing emperical analysis on something that grows by a whim of nature. Frustration at having a good idea and seeing it fall flat when I go outside with pruners akimbo.

I post my work here to get a kick out of the praise first and advice second. If advice is given I will sometimes follow it, but only if I can see the whys and wherefores and it makes sense to me. I am willing to learn but unless I fully understand the advice there's no point in following it for me. I will not take advice just because it is the consensus view. I also post my work to give encouragement to others (I allow myself an altruistic motive here because I have come clean about getting kicks).

I want to follow my own path through bonsai, and expect others to respect that. What does it matter to Tom, Dick or Harry how I get there as long as I get there? It doesn't matter to me if there is a quicker route. I do not think this is incompatible with my earlier statement that the end result is what matters.

What bonsai isn't: Bonsai is not about propagation or cultivating seedlings. I leave that to others who are vastly better at it than I am. Bonsai isn't about the illusion of age. A slender young tree in a shallow pot can evoke as much wonder and emotion as a gnarly old centurion in a rugged pot. Bonsai is not about putting a seedling in a bonsai pot and calling it bonsai. Can't think of much more that bonsai isn't, but I'm sure I'll think of soething after I click submit.

Conclusion: I've said several quite personal things here in the hope that I can find some common ground with others who I may have crossed swords with in the past.

Regards,

Chris.

__________________
"Do not be hasty, that is my motto"
-JRR Tolkien, The Two Towers.
-----------------------------------
christopherguise.co.uk

pdbbonsai

or perhaps even worse........A TEACHER!!!!


AL.....I think exhibition is too artsy of a word for this essay, and of course by all rights you can write what ya want, but I would have perhaps said "display" instead.......my 2 pennies. I certainly enjoyed the read tho.

Paul

__________________
It is essential to experience all the times and moods of one good place. (Thomas Merton)

BonsaiTalk is one good place. (me)

bonsaial1

ex-hib-it 1 to show, display 2 to present to public view-to put art objects on public display 3 law an object produced as evidence in a court

Remember the context in which this essay is written, with artistic principles in mind. Thats the attitude I am trying to convey. I might display a calendar on the fridge, but I exhibit bonsai.

Stepping back to the word display is to diminish what I am talking about here. Its a mindset, not for everyone but for me, everything.

__________________
Real men don't wear coats with "happi" in the title.