Bonsai or Decoration?

NickKeren

Hi everyone...

I have a bad habit (as many of us do) of not giving up on any tree... But even after it has died?

This post may serve to spark someone's creative ingenuity, or possibly open a discussion on what is and is not Bonsai or with any luck both.

As I mentioned I have a habit of saving Bonsai even though it may have long died. I do this for a number of reasons.

- For grafting or replacing damaged bark on existing bonsai.
- For phoenix graft material, jin material, or some other future project.
- As an educational visual-aid to teach wiring techniques, or to show branch ramification
- Or to simply visually explain that everyone looses trees at one time or another

At MABA2000 I recalled seeing rather unique forest planting. It was a charred arrangement of trees. Some standing, some toppled over. All burnt, even the soil was blacken in order to depict a forest fire that had ripped through in the recent past. At the base on several of the trunks a small green fern-like plant grew out of that blacken soil.
Some of you may recall seeing this.

I thought to myself that this “planting” was very innovative and a great use of material that had died. It has stuck with me. But was it Bonsai? Good question. I always considered Bonsai as a blending of horticulture and art. And this was definitely to the extreme art side of the spectrum.

I was amused to see the response this forest “planting” received. Some concluded that it had no business being displayed. Others appreciated the skill of the artist. (Unfortunately I do not remember his name). Issues of perspective, depth, empty space, tree and branch placement all still needed to be addressed as with any group planting. But this artist had to also deal with others such as the natural placement of broken limbs and fallen branches.

But people were talking about it and taking note. Is that not what art is about?

Also I recall it had a live component - the fern-like material signifying the “rebirth” of the forest. It’s alive… therefore its Bonsai

That got me thinking…. Generally a scary proposition. Many of the famous bonsai shows are at the time of the year when the deciduous trees have shed their leaves. In-fact the silhouette of a well ramified tree is highly regarded. Right.

Well, what if that is all the tree has left,. just the silhouette. Is it Bonsai?

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Nick
nick@uwindsor.ca

"don’t make your trees look like bonsai, make your bonsai look like trees."

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NickKeren

(continued)

As I mentioned I have a habit of saving some of the dead material for future projects..I’d like to tell you about one.

I happen to come across a 3 tree serssia forest that I grew from cuttings that dried up last winter because I missed watering one weekend.

I panned through my small collection of pots and noticed a patterned white pot.

Winter scene? Hmmm…

While watching the Lions stumbling through another 4th quarter (another story). I repotted the dried serssia forest . After which I used craft spray snow to cover the trees. Hoping to complete the winter scene.

I’m not saying that that this little winter scene is bonsai. To me you need a live tree(s) for that.

I’m definitely not saying that this little winter scene is as skillfully crafted as the brunt forest I saw at MABA2000, because its not.

I’m not even saying that this little winter scene is artistically sound, because its not. There are a lot of problems with this little winter forest. Spacing between the trees is to symmetric. The primary tree trunk perspective is not correct. The primary trunk needs to be thicker, etc, etc.

But you know…its in my office at work and makes a nice little decoration.

Your thoughts…

Attached Images

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Nick
nick@uwindsor.ca

"don’t make your trees look like bonsai, make your bonsai look like trees."

RedPine

I imagine since one can steam/wet wood and slowly shape it..and you can repot year around some of the things you mentioned could be corrected if you wanted.I say good job though,it carries a certain mystery in the image.I like this winter look better than the dead trees that have been silked.

It's cool.

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Will_Heath

Nick,

Nice, imaginative, skillful use of material at hand. Bonsai or not, it is visually pleasing, good work.




Will

bwaynef

Reminds me of the ice storms we get (not enough snow around these parts generally). Creative.

wf

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MoSinister

Very interesting idea. Two things stick out at me as a viewer. First, since the tree is dead, is the wire still necessary? Second, it's a dead of winter scene but the pot has colorful spring growth on it. I keep imagining it in a very shallow and somewhat wider, unglazed brown container. Maybe I'm being a bit morbid, but to me it would emphasize the cold starkness. Others may imagine something completely different.

I like this overall. It's really no different than displaying a fine piece of driftwood in your home (or at the office). But no, I don't think it's bonsai. Thanks for sharing.

~Mo

Newt

Regarding the burnt forest planting. That is Dean Bull from the Traverse City Bonsai Society. Unfortunatly I cannot find a photo. He shows it every year at the Michigan All State Show in Grand Rapids. Now adays he has seedling pines coming up through the charred ground. Cool idea!

I like your winter scene! Imaginative!

Newt

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NickKeren

Thanks Will...
very kind of you to say... definiately not my best work that's for sure.

__________________
Nick
nick@uwindsor.ca

"don’t make your trees look like bonsai, make your bonsai look like trees."

NickKeren

Great eyes Mo. I moistened that particular branch limb and wired in downward a bit to add more balance. I'm hoping that I can remove the wire after a time.



funny you should mention that. I really didn't notice or think of that pot as having "spring" feel to it. But kept thinking something was just not consistant with this image... Now I know why.. A plan white pot would have been better. (but I had this one laying around and I didn't think I would ever use it for anything else)

The funny thing is that this whole thing started because I needed the unglazed brown pot that happened to be shollower and wider for another project.

I'll try to work some digital magic to we what it would have been like. This was pot the forest was orginally in...




Me either... no living component.

cheers
Nick

Attached Images

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__________________
Nick
nick@uwindsor.ca

"don’t make your trees look like bonsai, make your bonsai look like trees."