pots by Mateusz Grobelny

What you think about proportions on this composition (tree-pot)?

This composition is not right at all IMHO, but I still prefer it to the olive in Mateusz's pot, but that is a personal choice.

Regards

Andy

Sorry Andrija. I agree with Stone Monkey. This combo does nothing for me personally. By far I think the tree is far superior than the pot itself. Both seem to be calling out for attention and I don't feel there is a clear hierarchy.

What do you think about proportions on this composition (tree-pot)?

This is a provacative joke, right?

Andrija Zokic wrote:

MACH5 wrote:Size, color and texture are simply not well matched with the trees in my eyes.

What do you think about proportions on this composition (tree-pot)?

If you think this composition is the way forward, then good luck to you.

Kev Bailey wrote:

What do you think about proportions on this composition (tree-pot)?

This is a provacative joke, right?

I don't understand.

Stone Monkey wrote:

What you think about proportions on this composition (tree-pot)?

This composition is not right at all IMHO, but I still prefer it to the olive in Mateusz's pot, but that is a personal choice.

Me too, although this work is made by one of the best bonsai artist in the world, Kunio Kobayashi. Very similar proportions like on Olive-Mateusz's pot.

Me too, although this work is made by one of the best bonsai artist in the world, Kunio Kobayashi. Very similar proportions like on Olive-Mateusz's pot.

It all comes down to taste again Andrija. I can appreciate Kobayashi San's work as a Bonsai artist but the combination of tree and pot is not too my taste, and I adore Japanese ceramics. That may be down to my lack of taste or vision I don't know. I suppose we all can't like everything and I think that Walters post here has proved that. That's not to say we won't like it in the future as fashions and trends change over time. I find this alot with making Bonsai ceramics and as my taste, style and vision has and still does evolve over time, which I think is a good thing

Regards

Andy

Chill out guys - there's 2300 other people out there who look up to many of you for guidance.
Though I'd add just a dash of humour - hope nobody is offended.


There once was an artist called Pall
Who’s trees were ever so tall
He potted them rocky and made poor Hans go dotty
He wasn’t repentant at all

Everyone joined in the thread
I feared it might with one dead
One’s art was called shabby then Will became crabby
As Hans retired to his shed!

Marija from Croatia cried DRAMA
Whilst Hans went yet more Banannas
When Walter kept prodding the wise stood back nodding
They would get sucked in at all

Art or not art was the cry from the heart
As the pot pictures came thicker and faster
Pull back from the edge Fiona then said
I fear this end in disaster

As the fighters got weary the thread just tailed off
And everyone went to the pub
Un-reconciled views scattered down to the pews
On the silent majority from high up above

Hats off to ya Phil

How wonderful to read through so many diverse comments............. as for the pot — well what a breath of fresh air! I am always encouraged when I see fellow ceramicists have the courage of their convictions to try out new ideas and produce innovative and exploratory work that tests the 'medium' and progresses art through new ideas and personal belief. As for 'likes or dislikes' — everyone is entitled to their own opinion and to express their own point of view. For my part, I think the pot in question is fabulously interesting and suggests all sorts of variations on the theme (that is, a digression from the traditional bonsai ceramic container forms). Nice work my friend...... I do hope we'll meet up someday. I relish the opportunity to take a stroll into your mind and see what else lurks in there. Keep up the good work and like any TRUE artist.... believe in yourself and your work and do not allow extraneous impositions distract you from your goals.

Best wishes,

Dan

Dan Barton wrote:......as for the pot — well what a breath of fresh air!

A compliment like this from Dan could be the difference between a young potter gathering the courage of conviction, face adversity, and follow his own path, or just succumb to the pressure and quit bonsai.

Thanks Dan for your support!

pmjos wrote:
Though I'd add just a dash of humour - hope nobody is offended.

Nice poem

Marija Hajdic wrote:

pmjos wrote:
Though I'd add just a dash of humour - hope nobody is offended.

Nice poem

I second that.

I am excited...I just received in the mail the 4th Symphony by Arvo Pärt. I expect I will like it very much. And some of you will like it, but some will not. In any case, he is certainly a great artist who has 'pushed the envelope' a bit with his compositions. Our responses to new material and ideas will in part reflect our prior experiences and background and a certain willingness to adopt new ways of seeing and hearing things. We may not even like it on the first or second hearing, but we may be surprised the more we hear.
I am glad we have had such a lengthy and spirited discussion that, for the most part, has remained civil and respectful.

Dan,

thank you for your well thought through post. It will certainly help Mateusz.

May I draw your attention to the fact that Mateusz was criticized very little if at all for making these pots. Those who use them were attacked for bad taste and bad character. Mateusz had his pots laying around for quite a while. Nobody, absolutely nobody wanted them. So Pawel, his friend approached me. And here we are now. The combination of tree and pot was criticized and the taste of those who did; and their meanness and fawning up nature. If nobody combines these pots with trees then we have peace and Mateusz can shred his pots. Or what?

Since the poem has its palliative effect, I think it's worth mentioning this one:

Read the boy's comment

It is just a matter of what the viewer sees!
And the viewer's background of course and.... in one word "it's viewer's taste"

Hello, dear bonsai- and bonsai pot friends,
everyone who has traced back the history of bonsai trees and bonsai pots back to their roots will discover that the things which were shown here have always existed and still exist today.
Drawings and paintings which are more than thousand years old show that in the palaces of the emperor or his clerks there were small trees or plants in containers. In those times there were no special bonsai pots. In honour of those trees or landscapes incense containers were used in most cases.

http://www.bonsaipots.net/index.php?page=penjing-album-of-gotha

The "classic bonsai pot", as we call it today, has then been developed during the following centuries. But even in those times containers that were intended for other purposes have been used for small trees.
For the annual exhibition of the Takagi foundation in 2002 Japanese potters were invited to develop new modern bonsai pots. You can see them here:

http://www.bonsaipots.net/index.php?page=takagi-1
http://www.bonsaipots.net/index.php?page=takagi-2

Even these pots are not really new in my opinion, but they have modern shapes wich come up again and again in modern pottery and have already existed for a long time.
Modern container pottery has nearly no possibility anymore to be "avant-garde". In Europe, for example, almost every technically possible shape has been explored. After world war 2, british potters have been very "avant-garde". It is a fact however, that in container pottery no new shapes can be developed which can work as a jar, vessel or in our case as a bonsai pot.
The only thing that could be "avant-garde" now (but not new) would be to remodel those already existing modern ceramic objects for bonsai pots. It is the same with surfaces and glazes, everything has been there before, up to the most modern laserprinting on ceramic.

Creations by Andreas Ludwig Switzerland
http://www.bonsai-fachforum.de/viewtopic.php?f=63&t=20823

We can stay relaxed nevertheless. The tree or the taste of its owner determine the pot, may it be old or modern, its shape and glaze, unglazed or glazed, just as desired.
A potter, too, is free to decide for himself which way he wants to go, traditional or modern or both.

Best regards
Peter
_____________________________________________
THE WORLD OF THE POT: http://www.peter-krebs.de/

peter krebs wrote:....things which were shown here have always existed and still exist today.
Drawings and paintings which are more than thousand years old show that in the palaces of the emperor or his clerks there were small trees or plants in containers. In those times there were no special bonsai pots. In honour of those trees or landscapes incense containers were used in most cases.

http://www.bonsaipots.net/index.php?page=penjing-album-of-gotha

Wonderful article on the Penjing album of Gotha, it was a pleasure to read it. I saved the link to your website, and I am sure that I wil spend many hours perusing it.

Peter,
One thing about these Penjing from Gotha strikes me right away: there are no figurines used, at all. Not one single mudman.
Can you explain that?

Hi Attila,
thank you for your interest in my articles.
These pictures are very old, and I can not say why, unfortunately no figures are shown in the pictures.
Best regards
Peter

Jim Doyle from Nature's Way Nursery was visiting Croatia last weekend. In a tree inspriation (positive tree critique) he showed this combination of a Grobelny pot with a tilia. Jim thought that it wold be brilliant. He jsut loved these ptos and the way they could be used.
See more there: http://walter-pall-travelogues.blogspot.com/

Walter Pall wrote:Dan,

thank you for your well thought through post. It will certainly help Mateusz.

May I draw your attention to the fact that Mateusz was criticized very little if at all for making these pots. Those who use them were attacked for bad taste and bad character. Mateusz had his pots laying around for quite a while. Nobody, absolutely nobody wanted them. So Pawel, his friend approached me. And here we are now. The combination of tree and pot was criticized and the taste of those who did; and their meanness and fawning up nature. If nobody combines these pots with trees then we have peace and Mateusz can shred his pots. Or what?

In my very humble opinion, everybody has the right to express his/her feelings/opinion. Some adore these pots, some reject them, and some like them/dislike them depending on the tree-pot combination. What i sense though is that people who really like them react when someone else has a different opinion, something that i find unjustifiable. And now Mr Pall (I really respect your artistry and your bonsai), this is what you do exactly; you react in such a way against people who do not like these pots. At least this is my understanding of your post.

Stavros,

there is no need to interpret my posts or second guessing them. I have the habit to say very clearly what I want to say. Everybody who wants to, can understand it. Your interpretation is absolutely wrong. I will not argue here, I have said everything, go back and read it.

To me one of the most extraordinary and beautiful things about these old collected trees which are now being seen all over Europe is the texture of the bark. To put these trees in such heavily textured pots distracts the viewer from one of the trees greatest assets. Trees such as these demonstrate their age through the quality of the bark, this feature should be enhanced by the pot not concealed by it.
This is the humble opinion of an Australian who will never have the opportunity to work with such plants of great age.
Craig

Klaudia & Martin wrote:I personally like it.....and Mateusz is a great artist!

Well said Russell

...."Each to their own!!"

This is his website......
http://www.mg-gar.pl/

Kind regards
Klaudia

http://www.mg-gar.pl/en/gar/pictures/61/
link to bonsai pots...