Avant Garde Bonsai Pots

Bonsai pots exist in many shapes and sizes but the vast majority of them adhere to traditional classic designs started in China. Heck even many of the designs attributed to Japan came from China and are known as "Old Crossing pots." So the question is what modern designs have the current potters devised out there to be creative and innovative. Let's see your avant guard bonsai pots. For purposes of this let's exclude accent plant pots as there are many new shapes in those small pots. I'd like to see pots that have new shapes intended for trees.

I'll start by posting one I made a few years ago.



Ok, post dated, here is a photo of it holding a very funky cedar elm. Believe it or not when a fellow club member gave me this tree 5 or so years ago he was trying to grow this tree as a formal upright. The funkiness of the tree matches the pot. It doesn't have a true front, doesn't fit any of the bonsai rules, and is happy growing where it is. Is a Kokufuten exhibition quality bonsai? is it even a bonsai? It is a tree in a pot.

Hey, it seems breaking the rules is becoming the new trend.

Maybe a semi-cascading maze would be nicely shod in this one

Joking apart, it is a nice pot per se, but choosing the right pot for a tree is already very difficult sometimes. Here, it will be a real challenge to find a tree that echoes the characteristics of the pot.

What's more, when it is too original, the bonsai becomes an accessory, the pot steals the show. We already often have this kind of discussion with less innovative shapes and colours.

I don't mean to say it's impossible, on the contrary, I'd love to see more innovative containers with trees that make the whole combination beautiful to look at.

This page is not specifically bonsai related, but there are ideas to pick up I'm sure :

Toku Art

Good topic idea Rob!

May I suggest that pots are shown with a tree, if possible, I think this would be interesting.




Will

Interesting pot Rob! I have made just a couple of pots some years ago while taking a pottery course...certainly othing avant garde!
I did recall seeing some different designs on this Tokoname site. This might be suitable for a small tree, but, as you say, most of the innovative shapes are much smaller and more likely to accomodate an accent.

http://www.tokoname.or.jp/bonsai/gallery/38y09.htm

A hexagonal pot. Made by a lady potter in Boon, NC. My son gave it to me maybe 10 years ago now. I no longer have her name, but she and her sister have a shop in Boon. She did one or two "bonsai" pots a year.

OK

Last but not least....
Made for a bonsai friend...
Scoop land & water...

"Uncle Scoopy"

Dale Cochoy wrote:

That's avant guard - NICE!

Were you on special medication when you made that one

Oke
Enjoy

Dale, Morea,

Beautiful pots !

Joking apart, it is a nice pot per se, but choosing the right pot for a tree is already very difficult sometimes. Here, it will be a real challenge to find a tree that echoes the characteristics of the pot.

I think the avant guard pots are wonderful, and only make it easier to find the right pot for the tree. The more shapes and sizes the potter makes the more options for the tree.

Morea, I really like the 'landscape' feeling the pot and the potting provides in the 3rd/4th pictures.

Rob Kempinski wrote:

Dale Cochoy wrote:

That's avant guard - NICE!

I agree, these are exactly what avant guard means, excellent work! Now this is bonsai pottery in modern times at its best. If you have any of these left, email me, I'll take two, one for myself and one for a prize in the next AoB contest.

Dear AlainK and Carolee

Thank You for the kind words.
Enjoy

Morea - I like the pot with the crenelated edge.
Also the wedge pot is cool. Might work for a conifer just as well.

I suppose one could consider the snake pot in this category.

Sorry fellas its been bothering me. Its avant garde.

Morea,
I really like that blue wedge pot!

Your comrade in arthritis.....
Dale

P.S.
Will,
I don't have pots like this in 'stock'
Those are 'one-off' things. I think Art Skolnick owns that pot now. Perhaps you can talk him out of it!

Dale

Sooner or later I am going to own one of your pots....


Will

prestontolbert wrote:Sorry fellas its been bothering me. Its avant garde.

Fixed.... now lets see some pots.

BTW are you in the Scottsdale area?

Rob-
Right now I'm just trying to make some good normal bonsai pots. Maybe when I figure that out I'll take it to the next level. I live 2 hours north, but I go to Scottsdale regularly to take work to and from galleries. Are you in Melbourne or Melbourne Beach? I spent several weeks fishing the Indian River and hassling 'gators. I played the only game of golf I ever played at Melbourne Beach.