Re: modern shohin display

Dustin Mann Fri Sep 10, 2010 2:01 am

Walter. Your shohin tree pot combinations are just fantastic to me. I understand thread is debate about displays, but had to comment on the harmony by use of both contrast as well as unity of trunk/pot color/shape. Enjoyed most Spirea shrub, Korean boxwood(nail pot), Mugo, and European Larch(trunk/pot), as well as simple contrast of Acer palmatum to leaves(each season) Thank you inspiration for me to study this. Dustin Mann

bonsaistud Fri Sep 10, 2010 8:37 am

G'Day Walter...

I like very much what you have done...when you are finished, and set up for display, IMHO, it will be very impressive. I would like to see, as mentioned in other posts, more space between the trees, and more variation in the blocks...size, shape, height...

Back in Arizona, I did a couple of shows where we used cardboard boxes, numerous sizes and shapes...each box had a piece of black cloth drapped over it.

Not ideal, but it worked,

Pat...mounted on my trusty steed, riding off wildly in all directions...

Jaco Kriek Fri Sep 10, 2010 10:32 am

Any pictures of your display, Bonsaistud?

moshe emergui Sat Sep 11, 2010 6:10 pm

Hi Walter
. I like the way it is displayed, clean, and very clear. Looks great!
Reminds me that I did something in Wilfrid Museum Israel at the beginning of my way as a bonsai enthusiast . My display is not even close to yours , I used wooden boxes, different height Etc ... it was something very preliminary , trees of various sizes, not only a shohin display. The idea was to present a very clean Show( like in a museum). The lack of traditional tables was the reason for this way of display.
Good luck

Guest Sat Sep 11, 2010 6:20 pm

fiona wrote:If you went to any flower show in the UK including the world-famous and highly prestigious Chelsea Flower Show, you would see bonsai displayed as Walter has displayed his Shohin here - on uniform coloured "base blocks" spread out acorss a table top and with a similar type of height variation.

And being awarded equally prestigious Gold Medals and international kudos for it.

I'm not saying that approach is correct, but can we say it is wrong either?

Thanks to the inspiration and education provided by people like Morten, I have come to a deeper understanding and appreciation of the traditional display. I do like traditional displays, but I see no reason why I should not like innovative ones as well, and the one Hans' has shown in another thread is a case in point. IMHO "traditional" displays of anything are often there for the only reason that "that's the way we've always done it", and quite possibly because no-one has thought (or in some cases dared) to break away.

Funnily enough, for me Walter's display is not really innovative enough. But then again he did say he was just at the experimental stage of this project.

Thanks Fiona

Regarding that "traditional" displays of anything are often there for the only reason that "that's the way we've always done it", and quite possibly because no-one has thought (or in some cases dared) to break away. - I do think that is not the case. I think it is because it works.
Hereby not said that other kind of displays are not working, because they are if the bonsai are of good quality, and the display expresses a feeling or mood of any kind, depending on the artist.
Whats important is that the display shows more than just bonsai listed on a shelf, and shows some emotion of any kind. Displays are like poetry, they expresses something you may not put words on, but they are more that just presenting the bonsai. Like poetry is not just words on a paper, but sends a message.

Regards
Morten

MACH5 Sat Sep 11, 2010 8:05 pm

I wonder as well if Walter was inspired to do this type of clean, museum like presentation after several of his larger trees were exhibited at a German BMW dealership in a very similar fashion???

Walter Pall Sat Sep 11, 2010 8:17 pm

MACH5,
well it was not a dealerhsip, it was the BMW headquarters 'BMW World' which is visited on average by more than 3 million folks in one year, which makes it about 10,000 per day.
Here are a couple images of that exhibit which lasted for 4 months and will be continued again beginning next week.
Indeed these pillars are of the exact same material as my shohin cubes and ar made by the same company.

MACH5 Sat Sep 11, 2010 9:20 pm

Thanks for the clarification Walter. This is their headquarters and NOT a dealership. Some may find this a strange and perhaps cold way of displaying bonsai but I really do like the combination of modern, clean surfaces and steel beams in sharp contrast with the trees. To me it brings out the artistic nature and sculptural quality of the bonsai.

anttal63 Sat Sep 11, 2010 10:44 pm

I think its is fantastic and there is definately a place for this form of display...I too would like to see more space and height variation at times, not neccessarily always. i also think less is better, not too many. Nice one Walter! cheers

Guest Sun Sep 12, 2010 2:30 am

Walter,
your display works perfectly in this kind of environment, with modern industrial architecture as background, almost like a modern museum. do you think it will have similar effect and impact in a traditional environment? or will it be a wait and see situation.

regards,
jun

Walter Pall Sun Sep 12, 2010 4:47 am

jun,

I will wait and see. It will happen as it happens. The exhibit at BMW is an art exhibit as the folks there insit. They do not want to hear the word bonsai. So the trees are presented as objects of art at BMW, just like they do with the ongoing general art exhbits there. This made me thinking and I decided that I want to show shohin in a similar manner in an othrwise more traditional bonsai exhibit. They will give me a whole wall for my cubes. I look forward to see the result.

craigw Sun Sep 12, 2010 8:55 am

Hi Walter, your display is great and the trees beautiful, one of them looks to be a linden. I have quite a number of these trees which I have been working on trunk development for close to 10 years, the first of them is ready to be potted and I wonder if you could give me a little advice for working the foliage of this species as information on them is a bit hard to find.
With thanks from Craig

Walter Pall Sun Sep 12, 2010 9:37 am

Craig,

linden are extremely hardy. They never die from freeze. And they have very large foliage. But one can easily defoliate them in late may and the new growth will be much smaller. They need more moisture than most trees. Therefore the substrate should contain 20 % peat, or sphagnum moss or cooconut fibres or small sheredded bark particles. They love to be fed a lot and watered a lot.
BTW: there is no linden in this collection. To see six of them them and their development go to my gallery: http://walter-pall.de

Guest Sun Sep 12, 2010 2:48 pm

Walter,
thanks.
im also waiting and looking forward to see the result of your display, but more importantly im personally excited to see how people will react to your display...violently or lovingly. both reactions would be great to see. Very Happy

this is like the building of sydney opera house or the construction of eiffel tower and so many other landmarks of the world where people in those era hated them so much in the beginning then later on embracing the new forms as masterpieces of their respected countries.

will they crucify you? lets wait and see.

regards,
jun

craigw Sun Sep 12, 2010 9:23 pm

Thanks very much for that info Walter.
Craig

Pola Sun Sep 12, 2010 9:30 pm

WOW!! I love your work Walter!! Beautiful trees!! cheers

Smithy Sun Sep 12, 2010 10:33 pm

Who watered the trees while they were there. Did they employ someone especially to do it.

Walter Pall Mon Sep 13, 2010 5:40 am

Smithy,

among three friendly helpers and myself one had to go there every day and water. No big deal, just a matter of organization. The exhibit is 45 minutes away form my place.
We water with a big sprayer. The stands are absolutely water proof. So one can water the trees right where they are until everything is dripping wet. Then with a big cloth the stands and pots get dried and cleaned. That's it.

Smithy Mon Sep 13, 2010 8:00 am

Thanks Walter,
I always wonder these things when i see displays.

pmjos Mon Sep 13, 2010 9:31 am

Walter, I'd just like to say thanks for showing your display.

I thought it was entirely appropriate for the type of setting. It bridges the asethetics between the worlds of architecture, photography & bonsai, it places industrial images and nature into a context like real life. Personally I think people have missed the point a bit.

You have been criticised for the way in which you have 'shown the bonsai' or that other people have shown bonsai in a similar way, that is a little mono dimentional - what you have produced is an installation which of itself works very well. That should be good enough.

The reason it looks good is because of the proportions and relationships between the shapes, the shaddows and the natural forms of the bonsai. One thing contracts and compliments the other, that is art and its not that easy to get it right.

I think it has a very minimalist almost ikebana feel to it. For what its worth I think you have executed it well, it works and it maked the trees lok great.

Walter Pall Sat Oct 02, 2010 5:58 pm

The exhibit at BMW headquarters in Munich, Germany will end on Thrusday, October 7 in the evening.

Walter Pall Sat Oct 02, 2010 6:03 pm

The shohin exhibit in Kulmein, Bavaria was quite successful. Here my part of the exhbit. It was very well recieved. Not a single one of the traditionalists did not like it.

kauaibonsai Sat Oct 02, 2010 7:05 pm

nice display walter. clean lines with focus on trees/no distractions. here is something similar kauai bonyu kai does.[quote]

Guest Sat Oct 02, 2010 11:45 pm

congratulations Walter! very refreshing exhibit. not the "backward" form of art anymore, right?

regards,
jun sunny

Rob Kempinski Sat Oct 02, 2010 11:51 pm

Well done with the shohin display. I think the final arrangement of the blocks shows the trees very well and puts the focus on the tree as a work of art and not on the art of interior decorating.

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