Joy of Bonsai Innovations

One of the highlights of the Joy of Bonsai event this weekend was the Innovations section masterminded by Simon Temblett. As expected these exhibits proved to be talking points and the majority of the snippets of conversations I heard were in favour. There were of course the usual comments along the lines of "they're very interesting but they're not bonsai".

Here are three of them. See what you think - are they innovations or whims? (pic quality not the best. If anyone has better, please do post them)

First off - a statement about the environment, lamenting the extinction of Yangtse River dolphins as a result of pollution. The obvious question here is does a "bonsai" display have to contain a living tree?




Second: This one has a "proper" tree, but what about the display? Who's going to be first to say "the Japanese wouldn't do that"?






Last: The Blackthorn Juggling on a Unicycle exhibit. A real tree undoubtedly, but what about the styling and the "pot"?






Over to you guys now.

Magnificent, this must be somewhere in time.......... when the cradle of life hits the earth!

Realy realy and yes loads more of that awesome!

Who are the artists?

Unfortunately I have left my list at the venue, and rather than upset someone by wrongly accrediting them, I'll post the answer to your question tomorrow.

I actually like all of these exhibits but I can see why the traditionalists might be throwing up their hands in horror.

Fiona, isnt it just another way of thinking and a step in evolution in little bonsai land?
If every one was thinking alike we would all drive a toyota prius and life would turn into a similar grey area for a better couse!

Discussion is,....is it bonsai i would say yes and at the moment also no.

The extravaganza it has,........this is art....(hmmm morea!) bonsai is poetry...........
Sorry for not completing this,..... discussion is needed!

here this evening we where waiting for this, morea and me

Have a good time in bath u all!

littleart-fx wrote:...If every one was thinking alike we would all drive a toyota prius...

I'd sooner eat my own spleen

I agree completely that every so often someone has to shake the tree of complacency and conformity for the overall good of things. As I have said many times, in Art if this had not happened over the millennia, we would all still be painting bison on cave walls.

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fiona wrote:

littleart-fx wrote:...If every one was thinking alike we would all drive a toyota prius...

I'd sooner eat my own spleen

I agree completely that every so often someone has to shake the tree of complacency and conformity for the overall good of things. As I have said many times, in Art if this had not happened over the millennia, we would all still be painting bison on cave walls.

It's funny you say that Fiona. There were some caves explored in either France or Spain, and they discovered a vast area covered with ancient cave art. Many people visited at the time, including Picasso. He studied the pictures and said "we have learned nothing".

Which rather begs the question how much of having "learned nothing" has come about because of other people imposing "rules" on art which they cailm will bestow meaning but which end up stifling and restricting creativity.

And, while it may be glib to say so, Nature doesn't make trees all the same shape and form.

I'd like to see this thread taking off with some discussion here today as there's certainly an entire banquet of food for thought.

I loved the jugglers tree. it is a great piece of art. its not a bonsai in the traditional sense but i found it very pleasing to the eye and would love it in my garden. It is going to be interesting where it goes from here as there are no pads to form by clipping it back .

Here is another few photos of them.




This i gather was the one made of resin. It fooled me to start with.

I find the displays to be wonderful. To me they are so much more expressive than the traditional tokonoma.

The execution is also very well done. The juggler is my favorite.
Both pots used show true innovation. My complements to the artists and to Simon.

And to me they are bonsai - harking to some Chinese trees I have seen but still innovative.

Smithy wrote:This i gather was the one made of resin. It fooled me to start with.

Was they whole tree fake? Or was resin foliage added to the real driftwood?
How big?
Impressive piece of modeling and low maintenance requirements.

The whole tree was fake. the deadwood was made and it was amazing up close. It was the biggest item on display. It must have been about 2 ft high.
I hope i'm not wrong with this info,i'm sure when they start coming back from the show there will be more info about it.

Just back so I will post a few more pics when I get a chance to dump them off the camera. Light in the hall was much better today so hopefully I'll have some better ones than yesterday.

Smithy is right though. The "wood" of the tree (a replica of a real tree styled by Kevin Willson) was modelling clay and the "foliage" was plastic. Even up close it was difficult to tell that this was not a real tree.

The artist by the way was Paul Finch.

interesting works!!!!

Thanks for posting more exploratory versions of bonsai and/or display formats. I have to look at them for awhile longer before I comment, but my general initial impression is very favorable.