A New Dimension in Bonsai Display - A new accompaniment

Khaimraj Seepersad wrote:Mike,

I will be brief as this is off-topic.
My stand on pots is very simple. As a frame is to a painting, so a pot is to a tree. If you see the frame instead of the painting...............
Later.
Khaimraj

A good tree in a bad pot will have exactly that effect.

Rob,
Thanks for your comments. Good to see that you have an observant eye as regards the material used for displaying the poem. Yes the thick sheet of paper used was not thick enough. The reason why I still went for it was that I was not too sure if the organisers would accept this aspect of the display... To be honest I hadn't told them before hand and in the event of them disapproving it I had thought that the effort of going into a proper framed display for the poem might not have been worth it. Hence this material. Next time I shall do a through job on that.

On the music part, I've managed to download some traditional soft Chinese Instrumental music and that I think adds value and gives the overall display more meaning and a sense of mystique... Shall try it out in the next couple of years and hopefully it should be liked....

Jim,
Thanks for your comments.. Really appreciate the same....

Sunip,
Thanks for your comments. Your thoughts provide a nice insights into different aspects of the topic. Thanks again.

Jun,
Shall take the permission of our Club folks this weekend and hopefully if I get the nod shall share the pics here... Glad you liked what I sent...

Will,
thanks for your comments....

Khaimraj,
do understand what you are saying about exhibitions. However I would look at it differently and say that even though all may not grant the display such seriousness that the exhibits (tree and the accompaniments) deserve, it is still worth it for the few who do view them seriously.

Mike,
Thanks for your comments and very specially for posting the pics of the English Haiku scroll... If you have a pic of the same scroll being displayed with a tree et all please share the same. Shall definitely look forward to that...

Regards
Ravi

Very interesting. I like this idea of adding a poem. I do prefer a more artistic display of it though.
It doesn't seem necessary to use a hanging scroll (although I personally like and prefer that), but also a simple frame can be used I think.
I think we will see a lot of exploring of this items in future, and as long as the aesthetics are considered well, many solutions are available.
(Important to be aware of the overall display and not just the tree).

Regards
Morten

Excellent. I have Paul Goff's permission to use the pics. Some people will have seen it before but it's always good to ask. The display was created in 2004.

very interesting!!!
Thank you Fiona for asking for Paul's permission and a thank you to Paul for permitting

It definitely gives us another perspective on how bonsai can be displayed

Okay Fiona,

here is what happens when I look at this display,

I see an incrediblely beautiful tree [ type is not important ] memories of walking down through the shortcut to the highway, in the morning or evening, begin to flood my mind. I wonder how long that tree has been growing there, what does the fruit taste like, will it pucker my mouth [ the tree I am seeing is called a Lay-Lay or swizzle stick tree - very colourful red/orange/yellow translucent fruit hang like the older varieties of wild grapes.] Notice, I am not even remembering something foriegn, the tree speaks so well to my memories.

I think of the floods, the tree has survived, how many cars have passed it by and yet never really see it. My mind continues to wonder and I imagine growing a hackberry [ american type ] to look like that. Perhaps catch some of that quality. A sincere thank you to the creator of the tree.

My mind then shifts to all the people who have stood in the shade of this tree, and waited for a taxi or a lift on the way to work, market or other.
Other memories of when I was a boy in Forest Reserve and there was such a tree type, growing near the pipe lines, and how I used to look for it, on my way to and from school always wanting to climb it.
Other memories form, less related. Somewhere ideas about humans living, loving and dying take root.
My heart slows..............., breathing slows .................. peace, contentment - endorphins flood my system [ happens when I paint for days - I am a junky.]

AND so it goes.
I have yet to see anything else in the image.
Probably because my mind is set for memory.
Later, and much, much thanks for a really beautiful tree.
Happily.
Khaimraj

Excellent with an example of a way transferring the traditional display into a western approach still with great respect for the original Japanese bonsai display. This could be enhanced and further developed in may ways I believe. Thanks Fiona!

My wife who is an artist painter has promised to make some scroll paintings for me. She promised, and I am waiting, waiting, .... waiting.... for a western styled drawing suiting the Japanese hanging scroll.... still waiting

Regards
Morten

I love the description of your reaction to a beautiful bonsai Khaimraj.

Ravi
The art of display has been a serious interest of mine for a very long time.
About 15 years ago, a good friend and I were discussing display. He came up with the idea of displaying bonsai in front of a gold backdrop. My brain immediately went into overdrive, and when it slowed down, I was thnking, why should a backdrop be a rectangle?
The image shows the result. It's made of masonite and sprayed with gold paint. It's 6 feet long at the base.
The bonsai is an olive.

mike page wrote:

I love the way the trees, pots, etc. pop against the display. I immediately think of a perfect tree back lit by a setting sun.

"Morten Albek Wrote : Very interesting. I like this idea of adding a poem. I do prefer a more artistic display of it though.
It doesn't seem necessary to use a hanging scroll (although I personally like and prefer that), but also a simple frame can be used I think.
I think we will see a lot of exploring of this items in future, and as long as the aesthetics are considered well, many solutions are available.
(Important to be aware of the overall display and not just the tree).

Thanks Morten... Your thoughts are very valuable....

Fiona
Thanks for taking the time and the efforts to get through to Paul and getting the pics... Very Very nice I must admit despite my initial inhibitions... Green Tea it is said is an acquired taste.... I guess I am acquiring the taste for English Poems on Traditional Scrolls.... Thanks for being persistent and not letting me discourage you


Mike
Very interesting display indeed. Thanks for sharing. I am still waiting for the pic of the scroll displayed with a tree and accents etc... Do share the same.....

Regards
Ravi

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Mike
Very interesting display indeed. Thanks for sharing. I am still waiting for the pic of the scroll displayed with a tree and accents etc... Do share the same.....

Regards
Ravi

Ravi, I've been searching my image files, but that pic is not to be found. It it does turn up, I will post it.

As a bonsai beginner, I'm afraid my trees' poetry would sound more like this:

This madman is keeping me short
My growth he keeps trying to abort
He cuts off my roots
And pinches my shoots
What's worse, he does it for sport...

slowly but surely wrote:As a bonsai beginner, I'm afraid my trees' poetry would sound more like this:

This madman is keeping me short
My growth he keeps trying to abort
He cuts off my roots
And pinches my shoots
What's worse, he does it for sport...

Ah yes, the limerick! AKA Irish haiku.