All American Bonsai Award?

[Lazylightningny]

I think we have some great American potters, and thanks to the work of some innovative collectors, we are as a nation amassing a nice collection of world class native bonsai. Although I agree that unrefined is not the right choice of words to describe our trees, we do style them looser than the Japanese.

 

[Hartinez]

The “All American Award” was initially started by Jack Douthit several years ago and was taken over by the American Bonsai Society a couple of years later. It comes with a check for $1,000 from ABS. Jack wanted to emphasize an encourage American species trained for bonsai in American containers on an American display table.

Each time we have three judges are from outside the United States. They are not always familiar with American native species, American containers and American display tables. So, I had a sign at the table when exhibitors registered their trees that instructed they should indicate if their bonsai were eligible for the All American Award. This year 12 exhibitors felt their display compositions were good for the prestigious award. This made it quite easy for the foreign judges to look at the 12 compositions to determine which was best in their opinion.

Our three international judges this year were Taiga Urushibata (Japan), Lindsay Bebb (Australia) and Mauro Stenberger (Italy). Each have studied bonsai for decades and are professional bonsai artists in their country and travel internationally teaching bonsai art.

As far as judging goes, we have three foreign judges. Each has a clerk which guides them around the 200 plus bonsai. Each judge has form where they nominate two bonsai for each award. Then all three judges get together and compare their results. Often all three judges select the same tree. Other times where there are several selections all three judges go on to the exhibition floor and look at the other trees nominated. After discussion, all three judges must be unanimous for an award to be selected.

This year, Marc Arpag decided to depict or suggest a scene from the New York Adirondack mountain region where he collects American larch and spruce. He used an American container by DaSu and combined it with an ancient driftwood freeform piece of wood and displayed it on a couple of flat boards to unify the composition. If you have ever been the Adirondack mountains you would instantly identify with the composition. And, if you were not ever in that region, this composition would likely want you to visit. His naturalistic display composition is refined, but not always evident with people who do not understand the difference between the two forms of bonsai: naturalistic and artistic bonsai forms.

This type of quiet suggestive beauty is not for everyone and most people cannot see or recognize the effort that Marc put into his stunning display. Our three foreign judges saw the impact and selected the display accordingly.

Below: Marc Arpag receiving his well deserved All American Award which is a hand painted scroll board by Dr. Alice Chen. The painting can be easily removed for display with a bonsai. She paints these scroll boards which are simple and suitable with fine bonsai display compositions. The $1,000 award check must be in pocket already....View attachment 210368

I can't thank you enough for your detailed response @William N. Valavanis I would not have started this thread had the display and tree not spoken to me as well. All of the winners' trees where stunning, but to me, this display and the award it recieved, stood out from all of the winners at the exhibition. I love that this is a thing that you do. I have extensive family in Buffalo NY and hopefully I can attend the exhibition while visiting them in the years to come.

Living here in Albuquerque, New Mexico, I feel so far removed from the american Bonsai masters/badasses that I follow daily online, however, living in the high desert on a "bonsai island" has its perks. We have a very distinct landscape and environmental aesthetic that I feel will make for great Bonsai compositions some day. That is when my trees or my friends trees, are good enough to be so. To me, thats what "all american bonsai" is all about. Taking a snapshot of the landscape that emotionally moves you, and translating that emotion to a Bonsai display. With so much diverse environmental territory in the united states this "all american Bonsai" award has a great and diverse future! Hopefully we'll see a winner from the desert southwest in that category someday.

 

[Tentakelaertje]

View attachment 210368

The two of you could have been brothers! Lol!

 

[Wilson]

Being that I live in the region this composition reflects, it caught my eye right away. As Bill explained, this would have taken effort to arrive at the finished display. The fact that there was a small krummholtz zone tree in the composition added to its natural appeal.

 

[Lazylightningny]

I didn't notice it before, but the boards his plant sits on really add to the display. It looks like old barn lumber weathered by generations of age. I've seen a lot of those old barns, and it says "Americana" like nothing else. It also screams wabi-sabi. I don't see the Japanese using boards like that in a formal display. I would think that their displays are all highly refined. Not better, not worse, just a different aesthetic.

 

[coh]

I didn't notice it before, but the boards his plant sits on really add to the display. It looks like old barn lumber weathered by generations of age. I've seen a lot of those old barns, and it says "Americana" like nothing else. It also screams wabi-sabi. I don't see the Japanese using boards like that in a formal display. I would think that their displays are all highly refined. Not better, not worse, just a different aesthetic.

That's exactly what it is, old barn wood. Interesting story behind it, perhaps @Mark might want to share that.

 

[Hartinez]

I didn't notice it before, but the boards his plant sits on really add to the display. It looks like old barn lumber weathered by generations of age. I've seen a lot of those old barns, and it says "Americana" like nothing else. It also screams wabi-sabi. I don't see the Japanese using boards like that in a formal display. I would think that their displays are all highly refined. Not better, not worse, just a different aesthetic.

The whole display is such a beautiful departure from traditional Japanese display and I love it. I love tradition also, but this American aesthetic is great.

 

[amcoffeegirl]

For those that don't know Dasu is in Iowa.
http://www.bonsaitrees.com/gallery.php?id=1

Nice pots for certain.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

I think it's very interesting to read the judges for this part of the competition are not American.
It makes me wonder if the 'American style' is recognized throughout the world as a distinguishable style, if it has certain trademarks that other styles don't.

Good thread!

 

[Cosmos]

On saying these larches are "unrefined".

Huge, old, full-size larches (talking about tamaracks here) have very little ramification. It’s mostly thick main branches, with a ton of smaller side branches along their length.

If you have 10 levels of ramification on your larch, you’ve abandoned all pretenses of naturalness. You’re creating something new and abstract, but not something "rustic" or "natural-looking".

Here are three (bad) pictures of collected larches from this year’s Montréal club expo. The ramification is obviously simple, it is not the interest of these trees.

 

[Hartinez]

I feel like I’ve shot myself in the foot by using the word Unrefined. And I wasn’t specifically speaking of the tree. The display as a whole is far more organic than most traditional Japanese 3 point displays. I figured there was some evocation of a natural setting in the display using a non traditional pot, not traditional base, accent plant etc. all American. I was just wondering if that was why it won? We’re the other all American setups done with an American made traditional style of stand, American made oval pot, displaying a well defined American conifer styled to look like a Japanese conifer? Is it less “all American” if we try and emulate our displays to look Japanese? And is it more “all American” to display our trees in Marks vein with his larch? I have no idea! I just thought I’d ask the question! A fun debate and topic of conversation none the less. As @Brian Van Fleet said, I’m totally overthinking this. Butttt ??‍.

 

[Hartinez]

I think it's very interesting to read the judges for this part of the competition are not American.
It makes me wonder if the 'American style' is recognized throughout the world as a distinguishable style, if it has certain trademarks that other styles don't.

Good thread!

Great question!

 

[William N. Valavanis]

There is no reason to have an American judge to evaluate the All American Award. The composition is not in competition. Only the use of an American species, American container and American display table. It makes no difference where the judges come from.

Personally, I do not see an American style of bonsai. But there are bonsai in America. When I view a bonsai I don't look for an American or Japanese or Chinese flag. Only the beauty of art is enjoyed by my eye. Many bonsai artists try very hard to design an "American style" bonsai and end up failing because they forgot about the basic design elements and create a poor bonsai..... Then they name it an "American bonsai."

 

[Hartinez]

There is no reason to have an American judge to evaluate the All American Award. The composition is not in competition. Only the use of an American species, American container and American display table. It makes no difference where the judges come from.

Personally, I do not see an American style of bonsai. But there are bonsai in America. When I view a bonsai I don't look for an American or Japanese or Chinese flag. Only the beauty of art is enjoyed by my eye. Many bonsai artists try very hard to design an "American style" bonsai and end up failing because they forgot about the basic design elements and create a poor bonsai..... Then they name it an "American bonsai."

I love this. Exactly as Brian said, I’m overthinking this award and it’s recipient, and I know it. However I love that the winner created a uniquely appropriate snapshot of an American landscape to win. It inspires me to want to snapshot some of my favorite places locally. I just Thought this could be an enjoyable topic of conversation, and I appreciate your input.

 

[Lazylightningny]

I feel like I’ve shot myself in the foot by using the word Unrefined. And I wasn’t specifically speaking of the tree. The display as a whole is far more organic than most traditional Japanese 3 point displays. I figured there was some evocation of a natural setting in the display using a non traditional pot, not traditional base, accent plant etc. all American. I was just wondering if that was why it won? We’re the other all American setups done with an American made traditional style of stand, American made oval pot, displaying a well defined American conifer styled to look like a Japanese conifer? Is it less “all American” if we try and emulate our displays to look Japanese? And is it more “all American” to display our trees in Marks vein with his larch? I have no idea! I just thought I’d ask the question! A fun debate and topic of conversation none the less. As @Brian Van Fleet said, I’m totally overthinking this. Butttt ??‍.

In my mind, learning the Japanese way is like an artist learning how to draw line and shape correctly, to correctly draw hands and eyes, and to learn the "rules." Once we have mastered these basics, you then abandon the traditional rules and form your own style. DaVinci was obviously an artist of high accord, but when the impressionists and abstract artists of the 19th century came on the scene in Paris, it was poo-pooed as trash. We (America as a nation) are relatively new to the bonsai scene, so I suppose we're still in our apprenticeship as bonsai artists. I'm continually impressed by our artists in this forum who produce such amazing pieces, breaking from the rules and convention of traditional Japanese bonsai style. I include our European brethren in this also.

Me? I'm still the guy who sweeps the floor and cleans the toilet in the studio.