Exhibition Album study

[bwaynef]

Does anyone want to discuss exhibition album photos? I won’t pick out necessarily the best. Just ones I find interesting. Also, I’ll try to identify the show but might not have that information handy anymore.

Let’s see where this goes.

Kokufu 93
This was one of the Kokufu prize winners for the first half of the show. I was a bit surprised when I saw it. While it does have movement and deadwood, they doesn’t come in the volume so often seen in Kokufu, much less among prize winners. It has an undeniable grace but also a bit of tension (not necessarily in the Mirai sense) and uneasiness.

 

[Mike Westervelt]

A few things about this tree make me uncomfortable, the weakness of the lowest right branch compared to the crown, same goes for the left lowest branch but less so.

But the strangest thing to my uneducated eye is the negative space between the trunks, seems awkward.

However! it's still a fantastic tree and way better than anything on my benches.

 

[TimIAm]

The name of this tree is 双龙 which is sth. like "a pair of dragons". This may explain deliberate negative space between the trunks. In Chinese trees you can usually see a bit of the name represented in the tree design, but not sure if anyone can see it? (I'm fully aware this is likely not a Chinese tree, just pondering if 'styling matches the name' may be the same in Japanese bonsai culture). Maybe also explains the representation of the left and right lowest branches mentioned above.

 

[Piedmont Bonsai]

Love the thread idea. Ive been wanting to start something like this for a while but kept forgetting about it. Like a study guide of sorts. Assuming your ok with others posting exhibition photos in the thread to discuss?

 

[bwaynef]

This is an interestingly potted tree. K93 again. Do you know why it’s positioned like this? How would it be different if the front was to a flat side of the pot?

 

[Mike Westervelt]

That is strange, I know it's considered OK to have hexagon or octagon pot with a facet in front, but a square? Not for me.

 

[Piedmont Bonsai]

Here’s a famous ‘beni chidori’ Japanese Maple from the 74th Kokufu.

I had the privilege to see this tree featured again this year at the 99th kokufu

Who can point out the changes in the tree 25 years later? Also how would you guess this tree was built out over time?

 

[bwaynef]

This one is largely styled in the traditional vein when it comes to Japanese Maple. They don't do tridents like this, or beech, stewartia , or chinese elm. The branching is very lateral and the ramification doesn't start for a considerable portion of the branch.

As for what's changed: looks like an ever-so-slight change of front, some elongation of branching and less density of branching as well. It also got taller.

Oh, and probably most visibly, it has nebarified. (While I can appreciate the technical aspects involved, I'm not a fan of the product. I'd contend that the before shows an almost optimal nebari for this size tree. I much prefer seeing distinct roots.) As for HOW it was done, I could believe simple rootwork done often, and planted deeper or covered with moss, could take what was before and turn it into the after over 25 years. It was allowed to grow taller, so I wonder if that was a result of additional vigor from being grown hard so as to allow the nebari to form.

 

[Piedmont Bonsai]

This one is largely styled in the traditional vein when it comes to Japanese Maple. They don't do tridents like this, or beech, stewartia , or chinese elm. The branching is very lateral and the ramification doesn't start for a considerable portion of the branch.

As for what's changed: looks like an ever-so-slight change of front, some elongation of branching and less density of branching as well. It also got taller.

Oh, and probably most visibly, it has nebarified. (While I can appreciate the technical aspects involved, I'm not a fan of the product. I'd contend that the before shows an almost optimal nebari for this size tree. I much prefer seeing distinct roots.) As for HOW it was done, I could believe simple rootwork done often, and planted deeper or covered with moss, could take what was before and turn it into the after over 25 years. It was allowed to grow taller, so I wonder if that was a result of additional vigor from being grown hard so as to allow the nebari to form.

The front definitely changed and i can notice two branches off the trunk that either died off or were removed intentionally. I think that’s what gives the appearance of being less dense. To me the tree is still very dense in person. The structure just appears more open.

As for the nebari, this tree was built by Ebihara so I’m sure it was at some point nailed to a board to help enhance the nebari. Probably prior to the first appearance in the kokufu. The transition of the nebari from the first photo to the second is a natural outcome of being in a shallow container over decades.

The sinuous taper of the tree indicates to me that it was built by allowing a whip to grow out and movement was built into the tree with wire vs drastic trunk chops.

 

[bwaynef]

I’d say this is about riffing on a theme. Anybody else picking up the repetition? Kokufu 96

 

[Piedmont Bonsai]

I’d say this is about riffing on a theme. Anybody else picking up the repetition? Kokufu 96

Not sure if this is the repetition that youre talking about, but this is the first thing that caught my eye

 

[Wood]

Here’s a famous ‘beni chidori’ Japanese Maple from the 74th Kokufu.
...
I had the privilege to see this tree featured again this year at the 99th kokufu
...
Who can point out the changes in the tree 25 years later? Also how would you guess this tree was built out over time?

I dramatically prefer the tree as it's exhibited in the 99th, but maybe that's just me. The first branch on the right has distinctly better taper, and I like the way it's been lowered compared to the when it's in the 74th. The height of the tree feels more proportional as well. In some ways, this one feels very intentionally penjing, with the overemphasized movement in the branches and lack of interior ramification

I’d say this is about riffing on a theme. Anybody else picking up the repetition? Kokufu 96

This is an interestingly potted tree. K93 again. Do you know why it’s positioned like this? How would it be different if the front was to a flat side of the pot?

Todd Schlafer did a similar thing in the Pacific Bonsai Expo. It was partly because that's how the roots fit in the pot, and partly because putting the corner toward the viewer reduced the visual mass of the pot. It seems like that could be a reason here. As an aside, I am not a fan of the stand used here

 

[Wood]

64th Kokufu, pg 177. Love the nebari, the trunk, the pot, the stand. Hate the branches. The pointed canopy feels like a young park tree compared to the base and age that the trunk has

 

[bwaynef]

Not sure if this is the repetition that youre talking about, but this is the first thing that caught my eye

All those lines are the repetition (along with the bottom of that bottom branch which is the one that stood out to me first), but also the lifeline arch seems to be what is being repeated.

 

[bwaynef]

I call this a study in brooms, mostly because that’s exactly what I was doing. 60, 70, or 77 Kokufu albums I believe.

It’s easy to dismiss them as all alike.

 

[Ply]

Here’s a famous ‘beni chidori’ Japanese Maple from the 74th Kokufu.
View attachment 589299
I had the privilege to see this tree featured again this year at the 99th kokufu
View attachment 589300
Who can point out the changes in the tree 25 years later? Also how would you guess this tree was built out over time?

Wow this is actually really interesting, especially the formation of the pancake nebari. To be honest I prefer the nebari in the earlier picture - it's pretty much perfect to me. Its what you'd see on really old trees in nature.

 

[Ply]

64th Kokufu, pg 177. Love the nebari, the trunk, the pot, the stand. Hate the branches. The pointed canopy feels like a young park tree compared to the base and age that the trunk has

View attachment 600981

The branching is indeed a little odd in this tree. It's clearly a high quality tree with that nebari and taper. But the upwards pointing mid and lower branches make it look young. Which tends to be the opposite of what you'd want to achieve in bonsai. The branches are also very straight, which doesnt help. Lastly it's a bit overcrowded, with many branches origination from the same portion of the tree.

Wonder why the creator of the tree chose this design.

I do however now see that this tree is 95cm(!) tall, over 3 foot. That's a crazy big tree, and in real life it might make a bit of a different impression. Perhaps not so overcrowded in branching as well.

Either way, I feel the tree could be improved quite easily. A little reduction in branches to create some space, and some (a lot) of guy wires to pull the lower branches down for a while. Maybe create some assymetry as well by removing either the left or right lowest branch.