Toko-Kazari next weekend

[Smoke]

As this goes to press, the Kazari was reduced from 19 entry spots to 15. The foyer of the museum has four Tokonoma's which were to be included for the display area. In two of the areas in the Foyer is ceramic art which is priceless and too large to move for a weekend exhibit. In the interst of preserving the art and the potential for disaster, it was concluded to forego those four spots. We concur, as well as those pieces of art will add to the festivities.

So at this time we have all but two of the spots filled with two that have asked to display but have not confirmed yet. We may have all 15 as we move into the last week.

The list of exhibiters is as follows;

Bob Hilvers, Visalia CA
Chuck Nelson, Fresno Ca
Ted Matson, Los Angelas CA
Fred Miyahara, San Diego CA
Hanford Bonsai Society, Hanford CA (team effort)
Fresno Bonsai Society, Fresno CA (team effort)
John Roehl, Santa Rosa CA
Al Keppler, Fresno CA
Kenji Miyata, Visalia CA
Seiji Shiba, San Jose CA
Jim Gremel, Occidental CA
Hideko Metaxis, San Francisco CA
Katsumi Kinoshita, Monterey CA
Peter Tea, Sacramento CA

This is a display contest, with displays having as much as 9 feet of display area with 3 feet of depth and 15 foot high ceilings. The museum has scroll hanging devices at each Tokonoma. I have seen many of the scrolls that will be used for the competition and it will be awesome to see 15 of the best displays seen in America. Of course first prize is $2,500.00 and bragging rights for a westerner to have assembled a display worthy of Kokufu or a bonsai museum in Japan. Second will bring $1,000.00 and third $500.00. This is unprecidented money for a display compitition.

Judges will be announced later next week after judging is completed. One is an expert and classically trained in Tokonoma display in Japan. One is curator of a museum and classically trained in Tokonoma display in a museum (toko-kazari) from Japan, and one is classically trained in exhibition and display of Ikebana.

This event will be covered by representitives from Golden Statements and are authorized for photo's of the event for publication within that magazine. Possibly an entire Golden Statements issue will be devoted to the articles of no less than three representitives of the event as well as the photo package.

This should be an event that will undoubtly stirr quite a bit of emotion as well as discussion for the forums for a few months. I can't wait to present it to the masses.

Ak

 

[Smoke]

Here is a peek of the scroll I will be using. It is 60 inches long and 14 inches wide. Sorry the picture is loaded crooked. Will adjust when display is set. The picture is water color on silk mounted on a scroll card. The water color is about 45 years old. The scroll hanger is about 45 years old also.

 

[greerhw]

Nice, sure beats the hell out of the one with your picture on it.......

Harry

 

[Smoke]

Nice, sure beats the hell out of the one with your picture on it.......

Harry

I'm bringin that one as a backup.

 

[greerhw]

I'm bringin that one as a backup.

If you end up having to use it, would you turn it toward the wall...........it could end up in a picture.

Harry

 

[Smoke]

If you end up having to use it, would you turn it toward the wall...........it could end up in a picture.

Harry

Silly...it already is a picture.

 

[Yamadori]

Al, What color will the alcove be? Do you have any control over that?

 

[Smoke]

Al, What color will the alcove be? Do you have any control over that?

This is what one of the Tokonoma's will look like. The black velvet will be removed for the Kazari exposing the Tatami Matts below. The legs will blend into the matt. Each display will be 9 feet long. It does not look like it here but it is.


You should be able to see the color is an off white background. The floor of each display area is 18 inches from the floor. About the same height as a Tokonoma in the home. The baskets on display in the Museum at this point have all been removed and the museum display will be changed after this weekend. We have it for a week. The baskets here are the finest examples of Japanese baskets outside of Japan.

We are very excited about this first annual display and it will be very rewarding to see some of the first displays being put together tomorrow. I think about 5 will be assembled tomorrow but maybe more. One will be Kenji Miyata's display, as well as mine, Chuck Nelson, Katsumi Kinoshita, Hanford Bonsai, Fresno Bonsai. That should be about 6. We may see Jim Gremel and John Roehl also since I think they are coming together. John used to live in Fresno but now resides down the street from Jim Gremel. Dinner Saturday night should be quite entertaining.

Al

 

[Smoke]

Sorry no displays until after judging. Can show a couple pics of the day so far. Most everyone showed up today to construct their display. Only two will show tomorrow.

Taking out the big juniper
Hideko Metaxis with John Roehl
In side the Museum
Kenji Miyata
The back of a big California Juniper

 

[Graydon]

Al,

Thanks for the reminder to renew my subscription to Golden Statements. I look forward to the articles.

 

[R_F]

Here is a peek of the scroll I will be using. It is 60 inches long and 14 inches wide. Sorry the picture is loaded crooked. Will adjust when display is set. The picture is water color on silk mounted on a scroll card. The water color is about 45 years old. The scroll hanger is about 45 years old also.

I like your scroll. May I ask where you got it?

 

[grizzlywon]

Just got back from the show. WOW! Amazing trees. There was a Juniper that is said to be around 1000 years old! To die for. Al had a very nice Pyrocantha, many others from the valley. Al's accent plant/display was one of the most creative I have ever seen and fit perfectly with the valley. I hope you can see pics later. Lets just say barb-wire was involved.

The display room is the best I have been in. I also enjoyed walking around in my sox! (you have to take your shoes off to enter.)

Lots for sale outside, mostly from Glenn and a few others. I won a little pomegranate in the auction for $5! I think it might be the recession, but trees went very cheaply with only a few bidders.

It was my first time to the Hanford display and it was well worth it! Go if you can.

 

[Mark]

Looking forward to see and hear more about this event. Anyone...?

Mark

 

[anttal63]

yes al loves to keep us in suspense

 

[Yamadori]

Al is probably exhausted. The heat went over 110 at the Clarke Center on Sunday.

I only attended Sunday so I can't say much about Saturday except that is was the only day with vendors and demos. I heard there was a great mix of people there on Saturday. I went for Hideko's workshop/lecture. Although I missed the vendor booths and seeing friends, I was very satisfied with what I saw on Sunday. The Clark Center is beautiful. The exhibit was intriguing.

Hideko's lecture was VERY informative and enjoyable. It was the detailed knowledge I was craving to build on what I had already learned. What she taught made complete sense. She is a real artist of tokonoma.

 

[Yamadori]

Hideko's lecture was based in Keido Display- expressing natures way. She began by describing the difference between ehibition display and Keido display. It is a different mind frame. Exhibition is a focus on the tree and it's styling. Keido is a focus on the whole composition, nature, feeling, philosophy. The tree needs to be more natural then a typical exhibition tree.

She then explained and showed examples of the essence and purpose of display, types of display, basic rules of display, and complementary and secondary materials.

The entire goal is harmonious balance, peace, tranquil, subtle essence.

The trick is in the fine detail. She emphasized the training of the eye, the importance of feeling the balance rather than following rules of measurement.

Mistakes are made when shape, texture, color, or stands are repeated. The scroll MUST be correct! All elements must relate to the theme of the display. If there are plants or birds on the scroll they must be the correct ones for the entire nature of the display. That goes for the accent plants or objects too. If you have a plant (accent or scroll) that does not grow in the mountains yet you have a mountain scene you have made a mistake.

Use of the enire space in balance, harmony, and movement is key to expressing natures way.

Hideko said that to do Keido well one must have 200 scrolls. She laughed because, of course, she does not have 200 scrolls.

Her display changes, element by element, were so enjoyable. One change and the essence of the composition felt defferent.

Her "attendants" were very responsive. She kept count of the beers they were earning for their dutiful service. That was fun.

I felt like I was at a million dollar event with a priceless lecturer. It was a first class experience. Now to start collecting 200 scrolls.......

 

[Smoke]

Home for lunch....

Yes I am exhusted. I havn't even downloaded my camera yet. I got home and founf that my 65 year old plum tree in my back yard had lost a whole trunk due to age and rot. It is resting on the fence. I will have to hurry home from work and cut that up as well as lawn mowing, washing clothes, pruning trees that shot out in three days not being home. I came home ate dinner and went to bed.

All I can say is it was definately worth it and pictures are forth coming.

 

[anttal63]

take it easy al dont run yaself to the ground!

 

[Yamadori]

By the way, Jim Gremmel took first, Hideko Metaxis took second, and Ted Matson took third.

Jim had an amazing blue atlas cedar cascade with a cloudy moon scroll and a simple low growing accent plant. The brighter new growth on the cascade contrasting with the mature colors looked as if there was a moon glow being cast on the tree from the moon in the scroll. It had an immediate effect on your senses when you looked at it. I knew it was the winner before anyone told me.

 

[Bill S]

Hideko Metaxis was the interpreter for Isao Omachi at the MABS Festival last month, she was very good at making sure all understood what was going on. There was a moment while Omachi was telling us about his father and Sinji helping him with different aspects of his winning the Prime Ministers award for his Kokufu Ten entry, when she started to cry, everyone felt and understood the story as well as if we all spoke Japanese.

Al et. al. you guys out there Rock when it comes to bonsai. Wish I could have gone.