The question of whether bonsai is an art or a craft has been alluded to on more than one occasion and in more than one place. This is a difficult question to answer; it seems the more you dig and examine the issues the more clouded the differences between art and craft become. The simple answer boils down to who is doing it, how they are doing it, and why they are doing it.

The argument has been made that those who do bonsai as a hobby, in their back yards, are practicing a craft. Without some sort of serious digging into the hobbyist’s motivations, this point of view would seem to fall into the category of painting with too broad of a brush. If one were to accept this premise then logically the opposite could be true, with in the same narrow purview of the previous assumption. Those who practice bonsai professionally and full time are artists. I argue that both of these positions are specious and illogical. Though it would be nice to be able to put this subject into two easily defined boxes I am afraid that this will not be possible.

The truth is, you will find that both artistry and craftsmanship flowing back and forth across this imaginary barrier, defining when one becomes the other is difficult if not impossible. Any hope of some sort of objective diagnosis will probably remain amorphous and as un-catchable as the wind. The most one can hope for in this is to come to some point of view where at least the differences between the more obvious occurrences can be used as guidelines in determining the rest not so easily identified events.

Taking these assumptions one step further if those who produce the ubiquitous mallsai Junipers, Serrissas, and Ficus are doing this full time and derive a majority of their income from it; are they then artists or craftsmen? I argue they are craftsmen in that what they do is done mostly for the sake of income which is evidenced by the visual quality of the product and the repetition of the same old patterns over and over. I might add that the aforementioned patterns do not fall into those recognized by a majority of the bonsai community other than trees in pots, with glued on rocks, that wither and die by and by.

So it can be seen that on the professional level, just because of the volume and business nature of the endeavor, you are more likely to find craftsmen than artists. This however, is not necessarily true when we consider people like Walter Pall and Masahiko Kimura who both have produced wonderful works of art while, at the same time, doing bonsai on a professional level. To say either one of these men is not an artist, is to be blind to the whole purpose of bonsai. However, at this level art demands craftsmanship.

In returning to the back yard hobbits we also find both craftsmen and artists, neither one nor the other is exclusive to this group as much as some might hope. To say the backyard hobbyist is only a craftsman is to miss the realities of human nature and the desires toward self-expression. There are to be sure, hobbyists that practice bonsai just as a diversion, something they enjoy doing to take their minds off of the daily routines of work and social interaction.

These individuals would be craftsmen, approaching bonsai simply as trees in pots with occasional styling to shape when the whim hits them. Some of these crafts-people, after doing bonsai for a while, discover an outlet for self-expression that transcends the act of potting trees. A flowering of inspiration takes root, a desire to create beauty touches them and the craftsman journeys into the realm of art for the first time, where ideas of shape and form become more important than the simple acts of putting trees in pots.

The more one thinks about the differences between craft and art the more one realizes that the lines between the two are not so easily defined. It becomes apparent that in reality the two disciplines cross aver in many areas. I would argue that it is impossible for an artist, especially a good one, to execute his or her art without a good deal of craftsmanship. Here you have craftsmanship dictating art.

If one looks at Kimura’s work and his wonderful sculpted Junipers you must realize that if it is possible to have a sense or idea of artistry in visualizing all of this beautiful flowing dead wood and branch placement, realizing the vision depends on the ability of the craftsman to make the artists vision a reality. Without the ultimate exercise of an accomplished craftsman the vision of the artist remains a dream, like going to the moon without the technology to do so, unfulfilled, silent and unseen.

Conversely I would argue that it is impossible for a craftsman, especially a good one, to execute his or her craft without a sense of artistry. I have seen and known first rate finish carpenters who being highly skilled craftsmen in certain applications or unusual situations had to be creative “outside the box”. They came up with solutions, not part of their training or common in their trade, that were not only beautiful but utilitarian as well. So in this case, and those like it, you have art dictating craft.

In bonsai there is much said about Wabi and Sabi simply the positive and negative aspects of art. Little of another feature the Japanese called Kami, which is loosely defined as spirit, is ever discussed. In Japanese philosophy things of great beauty or things of great craftsmanship are said to posses a sort of quasi-life of their own, this is called Kami. I would argue that this element is the elusive aspect that makes craftsmanship art, and art special. It is this element that reflects the life and character of the artist as well as the life and character of the piece of work produced, both fusing together to make a work of art that seems to have a sort of spiritual force about it.

Myself, having come more or less full circle through this argument and written it out, and those of you who have taken time to read it, share a common conclusion: We still don’t know for sure the difference between art and craftsmanship. I remember a number of years ago our government was trying to define pornography and distinguish between pornography and art. One lawmaker made the statement, “ I know it when I see it”. I suppose all of us tend to default to this same argument or conclusion, we know it when we see it.

In the end we are left with the original premises of Granny’s Serrissa verses Kimura’s Juniper, and all of the questions, conclusions, judgements, and assumptions that reside between. Art is liable to surface its head almost anywhere it has opportunity to do so, either through a conscious effort or by accident. Anywhere there is human activity that involves varying degrees of creativity art is possible. It can happen in the hands of the back yard hobbyist with little nursery grown Junipers or in the studios of Kimura and Pall with wonderful collected specimens of Pine and Juniper. So in the end it is probably best to enjoy bonsai, the people that grow them, and look to do the best you can with where you consider yourself to be. Don’t be judgmental of the pot stuffers, if you consider yourself seeking art. And don’t be critical of those who seek to be more than they perceive themselves to be if your definition of bonsai is the simple and sublime hobby you enjoy for its own sake.

Thanks for this cogent and insightful summary of this topic, Vance!

'Nuff said...

Very nicely put.

Thanks guys for taking the time to read and comment on it.

Beautifully said, Vance. And exactly true.

In every culture, there is craft. The making of utilitarian objects, everyday items that ease our existence. Sometimes the craftsmanship is ordinary, but the touch of another person and it may become art. Craft is the bones of the skeleton, without which it cannot stand. Art is the muscle and flesh, without which it cannot move.

To dismiss the soaring buttresses and transcendant angels carved into a cathedral as merely craft, one must ignore the delicacy and the vision of each individual stonecutter. Making the cheek of an angel look soft, the eyes look beseeching, the drapery of their robes look flowing, is not mere craft. And so with bonsai. You must be able to do the horticultural aspect first, without which the tree would die. Then, the vision comes. Peter Adams called it a "visual memory" and he advocated wide study of GOOD trees to augment it. Drawing on that memory, form can be brought to the tree. Some people will be able to bring grace and movement as well, and the ability to give the tree a soul comes to the person with both craft and artistry.

Recognizing that not everyone can be artistic, and conversely that not everyone who declares themselves to be an artist is correct, is simply recognizing the scope and spectrum of human ability. Art can spring from craft, spontaneously, perhaps quickly and perhaps only after years of trying. The world is littered with the output of self-declared artists. Attics and basements are filled with their work. They can yell on the street, or debate in scholarly journals, but in the end art is elusive and cannot be defined. Art moves people, touches people. You can't tell people that they should be moved, they either are or they aren't.

If a person did one really good bonsai, one heart-stopping tree, and all of the rest of their work is just run of the mill, are they an artist?

Joanie

Vance, I have always felt that the difference in artistry and craftsmanship lies in the level of execution, no matter what the field. We all know Michaelangelo was an artist. If he had provided drawings of the Sistine Chapel ceiling to the village housepainter, who then painted the ceiling very well, he (or anyone else who did the same thing) would have been a craftsman. Had he done the job poorly, he would have not fell in either category.
The artist can envision things in an aesthetically pleasing manner that have yet to be created. The craftsman has the mechanical ability to create things that have been envisioned for him.
zube

Thank you Jonnie.

Zube: I agree with you for the most part. In fact there was, or is, I cannot now remember who it is, that has his apprentices do all of the craft work for him but in the end before the work is done he comes in and does the final tweaking and touches that make the work his and a therefor a work of art.

Good post Vance.
There is room for all levels in bonsai. Whether it is a craft, hobby or art is not all that important. That you reach a level that brings you joy is.
If you are happy with your trees then why go further. If not then you have a ways to go.
Years ago just about everybody was talking about something called the Peter Principal. That is where a worker does a good job so he/she gets a promotion.This keeps happening till the worker reaches a level on incompetence. At that point they are fired.
If one is a good janitor and enjoys the job then why would you want to make him become a rocket scientist.
If where you are at in bonsai fulfills your needs then you have arrived. You just have to be a bit smarter than most to know when you have reached your plateau.
Name tags really don't matter. Art, craft, hobby are just words. Self fulfillment is a much nicer thing. It will bring more people to bonsai than all those other words.
I am not an artist , a craftsman or a hobbyist. I am a bonsaiest. I do bonsai because it is the most fun that I can have with my clothes on.
That is not a bad thing.

Tear down the walls! Great thread Vance! I totally agree. There is plenty of room for everyone. Some people who can produce art have no interest in talking about it, or maybe their art comes from a subconsious level and they do not have the ability to verbalise how or why art works or not, it just does or doesn't. Without a doubt though, if you do not know the craft, then you will not be able to produce art without a lot of luck or nice natural collected material.

Newt

The question of art vs. craft will always arise, but will the answer ever be found? Probably not, because of the high degree of subjectivity involved.
For example, we've all probably seen bonsai that were extremely well crafted but somehow lacking in the same degree of artistry. And, the other side of the coin are bonsai with obvious touches of artistry,but not all that well crafted. When one can achieve both, then a high mountain has been scaled.
Do your best and be happy.

Mike