Big Step for Florida Bonsai

A major step for bonsai in Florida. Due to the hard work of Dr. Robert Mandel, the Bonsai Society of Brevard, has been accepted to set up a display at the fall Melbourne Florida Fine Art show, called "Masters of Art." We will have bonsai on display, will offer demos and also sell bonsai to the general public. In addition, I will do a book signing of my book, Introduction of Bonsai, Growing and Appreciating Bonsai Across the Globe."

I am so proud of my club to tackle this major undertaking and to give bonsai the recognition it deserves as an art, and not just a gardening past time. If you are in the central Florida area, I highly recommend coming to the art show. The show is free, and in addition to the bonsai there will be lots of other fine art, as well as music, food and great people watching.

Its October 3-4 in downtown Melbourne. Hope you can make it.

Sounds really good, do take pictures of the event

Rob,

Great news ! You guys have a great club, wonderful artists, and tremendous bonsai, that will surely represent Florida well. I will try to get there.

Ed Trout

Sounds great Rob. Kudos on your clubs inclusion in the art festival. We need to see more of that.

I'll pass on this news to the CFBC at our next meeting.

I'll be sure to look for you.

Ed

Not only a big step for Florida...to the best of my knowledge, a GIANT STEP FOR AMERICAN BONSAI.

Congrats my friend...

Pat

Here in Syracuse, many years ago we had our annual show in the art museum. Then the curator suddenly told us not to come back, because we exhibited too many of the same trees every year! For a while we held the show at the nature center, but gave that up because the folks (and their children) who visit the nature center have no interest in bonsai, and the place was too far out of the way. Lately we have been holding it at one of the largest & busiest county libraries, where we get good traffic from the public.
Meanwhile, a few years ago the art museum instituted a spring festival, Arts & Flowers. Flower arrangers & others were invited to pick a piece of art in certain galleries, and design an arrangement to complement it. It was a great way to showcase bonsai as an art, and at first we got a few members from it. But traffic was limited and we couldn't sell anything for fundraising. Then a couple of years ago (to prevent possible damage by insects or mold) the museum board instituted very strict rules, including no potted plants. So much for our sojourn as art. Maybe we can look into selling at the big craft show, if we don't have to pay too much.
Iris

Rob: That is a major step for your club to represent to a large audience an art form demonstrating harmony of a life form with laws of nature. I believe there is a universal fascination with peaceful coexistance of man and plant life. Maybe planting a seed(thought) in someone else might kick in one day. Also you are a great artist/educator. Dustin Mann Ann Arbor Mich.

Hey Rob,
I remember the discussion about this back in July when I came down to your club with some pots. It sounded like a good idea then and I am very excited to hear that you all are going ahead with it. I am going to try to see this in person.

Bonsai, good bonsai, is Art. Of course I realize that I am preaching to the choir here, but unless we help to bring it to the mainstream, our Artform will not see its full potential. You guys definitely have the right material to spread the word

Our club really works hard to have an active club and to promote bonsai in Florida. We funded, built and maintain a highly successful permanent bonsai exhibit at the local zoo, along with an annual show at the Zoo, we have managed or actively supported more than half of the last 8 Bonsai Society of Florida conventions and are running the next one in Orlando (even though Orlando isn't our home town), we take all the visiting artists programs and now we have this Fine Arts show in Melbourne. Of the things we have talked about to promote bonsai the only one left is to have a show at the Museum of Art.

One thing this promotion has done is really raised the level/quality of the trees of our club members. Even beginners know what a good bonsai is by attending our meetings and taking and discussion trees at the show and tell. As a result they strive to improve their work.

BTW when we display the trees at the show, we are going to display them as Americans normally display their art. There is no requirement for tokonomas, scrolls or other knick knacks as accents. Just outstanding trees that can be viewed in the round and appreciated for the artistic and emotional statement they make on their own.

The thread notes…

BTW when we display the trees at the show, we are going to display them as Americans normally display their art. There is no requirement for tokonomas, scrolls or other knick knacks as accents. Just outstanding trees that can be viewed in the round and appreciated for the artistic and emotional statement they make on their own.

For decades, international museum curators (including the USA) typically display art with context replacing the old museum “good, better, best” distinctions of individual objects displayed serially with little individual context or collective effect. Art is meant to convey effect & objects without context typically fall short in recovering the artist’s or exhibition’s intent. Bonsai which are undisciplined in natural effect (especially visual flow) would not work in well-constructed scene typical of Japanese alcove display and some artistic bonsai exhibitions. A format of avoiding objects in disciplined display can disguise the flaws in individual bonsai design which do not work well in context. Perhaps, the exhibitors chose the format most fitting rather than because of its heritage.

FWIW, the plural of “Japanese alcove” is tokonoma. Japanese alcove display never abides "knick knacks" as accents. Crassly rejecting sincere expression in bonsai art outside of the club's approach (please don’t characterize the club's rejection “American”) doesn’t bode well for a “big step forward.”

Chris Cochrane wrote:The thread notes…

BTW when we display the trees at the show, we are going to display them as Americans normally display their art. There is no requirement for tokonomas, scrolls or other knick knacks as accents. Just outstanding trees that can be viewed in the round and appreciated for the artistic and emotional statement they make on their own.

For decades, international museum curators (including the USA) typically display art with context replacing the old museum “good, better, best” distinctions of individual objects displayed serially with little individual context or collective effect. Art is meant to convey effect & objects without context typically fall short in recovering the artist’s or exhibition’s intent. Bonsai which are undisciplined in natural effect (especially visual flow) would not work in well-constructed scene typical of Japanese alcove display and some artistic bonsai exhibitions. A format of avoiding objects in disciplined display can disguise the flaws in individual bonsai design which do not work well in context. Perhaps, the exhibitors chose the format most fitting rather than because of its heritage.

FWIW, the plural of “Japanese alcove” is tokonoma. Japanese alcove display never abides "knick knacks" as accents. Crassly rejecting sincere expression in bonsai art outside of your club (please don’t the club's rejection “American”) doesn’t bode well for a “big step forward.”

Hi Chris, being a devotee of the Japanese display, I figured you wouldn't like the the lack of emphasis on traditional Japanese display however, note I said there is no requirement for a tokonoma. If someone feels compelled to use a replica of one (since a tokonoma is a niche in a home, it can't be a real tokonoma) they can. However, few in my club are interested in the Japanese style of display. Most feel that is a form of interior decorating and not bonsai design.

Unfortunately I find your point about the lack of using a japanese display as a means to show "bonsai which are undisciplined" illogical. Displaying a tree in a tokonoma is a 2D representation of a 3D object. A tree with a serious defect in the "back" could be readily shown in a 2D manner in a tokonoma. However, display that tree in the round and there is no hiding the defect. And if the tree can show movement and character in the round, then there is nothing undisciplined about it. I refer to Walter Pall's tree - very well designed from multiple sides.

I also disagree that our move doesn't bode well for Florida bonsai. That our club is not stuck in a rut and is placing the trees in an American context which emphasizes the tree and not the decorative elements very refreshing. We can readily put the trees in a context using verbal, written and perhaps some uniquely American technique yet to emerge, perhaps video or with music. We don't have to use the Japanese display style and can still practice excellent tree art.

Congratulation Rob for you and your members of the club. Remember share some pictures of the event.