Displaying - ideas and possible evolution

Just a few thoughts from a Western point of view.

[1] I have had a long time habit of bringing in a tree and displaying it on my dresser, which is mahogany and a nice dark brown.
Instinctively, I find I need some sort of elevation to appreciate the ensemble of tree, moss, soil and pot.
Sometimes, the view needs to be dead on [ front on ] or slightly up into the branches, or slightly looking down on the tree.

[2] The tree usually suggests some place, and if I have an object to fit the feeling, I add it in.

[3] By now, the items start to take on a Still Life quality, as in a painting, and variety of shapes, starts to come into play, negative, positive, textures, and so on. A feeling of visual weight [ balances ] begins to be felt or needed.

[4] Depth of image, a sense of movement / volume, all these qualities, the eye begins to hunger for.

If I continued on to create a still life as in a painting, a shadow box to help direct the light would evolve.

This is how I suspect, the Chinese and then the Japanese ways of display may have evolved.
Thus if we just go by instinct, the Western way will also evolve.

As with all objects, man will add his feelings to them and thus we begin to communicate ideas.

A simple example.

Thus this goes with this -

Awakened, amidst illuminated decay,
warm earth, cold air.
Discarded jacket, nude pallid green to reach,
aspirations, dreams.



and this



and this at the back.

And we need another thread along side Ravi's excellent idea? Weren't you saying only a few hours ago that only the tree matters in a display? If you play devils advocate you need to be clear or you come across as a hypocrite.

Will,
I am merely suggesting how all this display stuff could have come along and how using still life techniques / appreciation from oil painting could be worked into a Western version of display.

You also seem to have forgotten my other responses -

"Ravi, I like the idea, but not for an exhibition, poetry and actually studying a Bonsai, is more of an intimate situation. Bonsai Today on Literati, has a few photographs that explain it all perfectly."

and

"However, if a small group comes over for a quiet, more intimate visit, I believe the tokonoma [ the works ] is the best situation.
So poetry, music, tables, accent plants are for more serious contemplation, but I can also get off on a good tree and nothing else for hours."

By the way,I am actually looking at Han's Topic but Morten's response.
Later.
Khaimraj

"Unfortunately, I am also one of those who believe the exhibition is just the tree, not the pot, not the tables, not the scrolls or the accent plants.
Since I spend so much time on the tree, like an oil painting, I want the attention focused on the tree, not the frame or music".

Hy Khaimraj,
The idea you describe i believe is the natural way of exploration.
Some thoughts;
Since everybody has his own limits in creating harmony, there can come a moment one appreciates and accepts that.
Then you can ask an expert or look back on traditions and might learn something to stretch your personal border,
if you feel the desire to do so.
Of course one also can go the tokoname way and find in the end the meaning behind al those rules/tradition,
or just follow the rules, witch is for those who are quit unsure about harmony, quit helpful.
But in the end it would be fine if one personal is able to create some harmony one way or the other.
The problem is, when you do not see it, you just do not see it, thats fine, (is even needed as long as it takes).
If you would point out some disharmonyc details, to somebody who has not a trained eye,
you would be crucified or the person starts about personal taste.
Accepting that you miss something means you gone already a long way.
Let us play and find the realms of imagination.
regards, Sunip;)

Sunip,

agreed!

I also wanted to add on, that in oil painting research on technique or other, I found this happening over and over -

Innovator starts a simple habit / idea ---------> becomes a Practice with a group -----> becomes a Philosophy often cloaked in lots of romantic tales and ideas.

Example seen - Jim Lewis suggests a very practical answer to the order of tree placements on stands in a Tokonoma - Conifer [ tree line on mountains ] - descending to valleys and sea level - Non-Coniferous Deciduous, Evergreen and Fruiting trees [ yes, there are also conifers that break with the above , being deciduous or lowlevel] finally ending with weeds.

This could easily be the idea,that became the practice and then the philosophy.
If I studied Tokonoma displays, this is what I would look for first, then work my way up --- the habit / idea ----------------->
Until.
Khaimraj