natural and abstract, an example
Walter Pall
contorted and twisted tree which seems to be almost all deadwood. He did not
say what it was, but looks like a Bristlecone Pine (pinus longaeva) to me:
and Walter has posted:
Ernie,
thank you for posting this natural tree.
yes, indeed it can be a model for a classical bonsai, it can also be a model
for a contemporary bonsai.
Whatever, if one styles a bonsai like this it will be an abstract piece of
art. Even if you take exactly what nature has done it is abstract in my
opinion, because the result does not resemble a natural tree.
Your picture is not prove of the contrary. That one has to show pictures of
real trees to prove that such incredibly twisted old-looking plants in
phantastic shapes exist is prove that the bonsai which are shaped like this
are abstract. You don't have to show a picture of a "normal" tree to prove
to somebody that a maple bonsai gives the impression of a real, natural
tree.
This is in no way meant to be derogatory. It only explains why one will find
lots of people who will still say that something is not a bonsai, but a
sculpture. Even if one could take exactly this tree, put it in a pot, shape
a nice crown, many people would say that it is grossly exaggerated and not a
bonsai. What they mean is that the abstraction is driven to an extreme which
they cannot follow anymore. While abstract is the contrary of natural or
realistic it is very interesting to note that one can use a perfectly
natural piece of material, not change it at all and still have an abstract
bonsai.
Again; I am guilty of creating highly abstract bonsai, like my Rocky
Mountain Juniper. I am guilty, to make a lot of pictures of natural trees
which serve as examples for styling to me and others. I also thought that
they would serve as examples to prove that what we are doing is "natural",
that we are not inventing something. I now have concluded that this is in
vain. We are driving the abstraction to the extreme and going far far away
from what natural trees normally look. It does not help to be able to prove
that such trees exist. We have to live with the fact that quite a few people
cannot and will not follow our imagination.
best regards
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Walter Pall near Munich, Germany, zone 6a
Walte...@t-online.de http://home.t-online.de/home/Walter.Pall
brandnew gallery with 60 trees!!