Beautifully flawed, opinions wanted

mike_p

I must agree with Pat. For me, the low branch spoils the feeling of bunjin. I say this as one for whom the literati style may be favorite.

Check the link for some thoughts and images about literati bonsai.

Mike

http://artofbonsai.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1038

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mike_p

I took the liberty of doing a little "trimming" to make it more like my vision of literati bonsai.

Mike

Attached Images

bunjin_2.jpg (63.1 KB, 56 views)

__________________
Nature is perfect.
Man's attempts to improve nature,
Are imperfect.

MP@BBB Studio

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treebeard55

Thanks for posting the story, and the pics. "Sublime" is not an inappropriate adjective for this tree.

Let me offer a few thoughts I haven't yet seen posted.

First, I wouldn't worry about the relative straightness of the trunk. When I saw the pics, I was immediately taken back to the form of many of the rainforest trees I saw as a boy living in Ecuador. The canopy trees had trunks with just about the same amount of movement. Blow your tree up to 60 feet tall, and put it in the middle of a recently-cleared pasture in the Amazon basin, and the foliage is the only thing that would not fit right in. (Thanks for the moment of nostalgia, too.)

Second, Susumu Nakamura once advised me, in a workshop, to keep a certain large branch that didn't fit the surface rules of bonsai. His reason: "to give the tree individuality." (And it did fit the oak-tree look I was going for.) I say keep that lowest branch.

And I agree: the foliage would benefit from thinning. The tree would look older, and also larger.

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Treebeard 55

"To do bunjin is easy. However, to do a bunjin masterpiece is difficult." -- Susumu Nakamura, at MBS '07

MattO

I'll stay outta that one!


October, it is difficult to judge the size of the tree. It appears to be ~ 36" or so, is that about right?

treebeard55

Now that I've seen Mike's virt, I see another benefit to keeping that lowest branch: without it, the trunk does begin to have just a little bit of the artificial-straightness look. (No offense intended, Mike.)

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Treebeard 55

"To do bunjin is easy. However, to do a bunjin masterpiece is difficult." -- Susumu Nakamura, at MBS '07

waltr

I also think the tree looks better with the lower branch to break-up the straightness of the trunk. Thinning the foliage is all that is needed.
This is a wonderfully graceful tree and a joy to look at. Great job.
walt

baldguy

Qingquan Zhao's five-needle pine has an "eye-poking branch" as the lowest branch. This tree is pretty similar, but has a back branch in the lowest position- I don't see any problem. Both very beautiful trees.

Regarding the pot, check out Dave Lowman's (Dasu Bonsai) shallow texture bunjin pot, or something similar.

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mike_p

(below from a post I made on AoB concerning literati, 10/1/07)


I believe that grace should be the primary characteristic of bunjin bonsai.
Early in my bonsai life, I began to question what was being taught concerning the bunjin style. I began to explore the art of literati, and my eyes were opened. The painters in literati style will teach you far more about the art than any bonsai book.
I'm posting an image from the book, JAPANESE PAINTING IN THE LITERATI STYLE by Yonezawa and Yoshizawa. The book, one of a series, is long out of print and out of copyright, so I have no problem posting.
This book, and others in the series is available from some old book sellers.
Back to the image; It's by a Chinese artist, Wang Fu, from about 1410.
Excellent representation of literati style trees.
Mike

Attached Images

bunjin_3.jpg (66.5 KB, 52 views)

__________________
Nature is perfect.
Man's attempts to improve nature,
Are imperfect.

MP@BBB Studio

There is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way
Gautama Buddha

october

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!! What an awesome an insightful thread this has become....Everyones comments were awesome and insightful. Also, people gave reasons for their opinions. I love how this tree has brought out room for eveyone to have an opinion. Its not the typical, informal upright or cascade where the rules are the rules and there is little room for interpretation. This tree has its own essence where it seems almost like no opinion could be wrong. Thanks John for getting the ball rolling on this one. Also, thank you for the instruction about displaying bonsai. I was unsure about some things, the direction of the tree to the scroll and if I would need a third element in the composition. I thought I might.....

One thing I am almost sure of is keeping that bottom back branch. It seems without it, the trunk becomes a bit droll. The branch seems to balance out the top and at the same time masks the straightness of the trunk.

However, I share everyone's opinion that the tree needs thinning. Actually, upon looking at the tree today, I realized that alot of work has to be done that I kind of missed. Upon repotting this tree. I gave it about a 20 degree tilt towards the viewer. This was so it looked like the tree was growing towards you and it also made the trunk more pleasurable to look at from the front. However, upon looking at it today. I had second thoughts about the 20 degree angle change. This was because the upper portion of the branches almost flow into each other unless you are viewing it from slightly below mid trunk height. To correct this, I wrapped and wired the top 2/3 of the trunk and apex to go back slightly. I think that tt has a nice balance, when viewed from the side. It looks like the trunk eminates from the ground growing slightly towards the viewer then curves back and then towards the viewer again. There is still a slight bow to the apex towards the viewer which I like.

Also, I did some wiring of the branches down and some more pruning. I will be jinning that side/back branch inbetween the lowest and third branch. I would like more opinions so keep em comin. The is becoming a very informative thread.