Reactions to the First Artisans Cup

[The Bonsai Herald]

Good morning everyone,

I am currently sitting aboard a plane flying 611 mph at 35,772 feet, going from Portland International Airport to JFK in New York. 15 rows in front of me sits Mike Pollock (Bonsai Shinsei) and his wife, and we happen to be flying home after experiencing the very first artisans cup.

As promised, Mr. Neil put on a breathtaking and powerful exhibition, and bonsai enthusiasts and professionals flew in from around the world for the show that Ryan and his wife Chelsea put forth.

Things I liked:
First and foremost, the venues of the Cup were spectacular. The show was rightfully held at an art museum in the center of downtown Portland, rather than some uninspiring convention center that diminishes the work, love, and artistry that we put into our trees.

Second, the majority of the trees were breath-taking. Also, for once we saw an exhibit that mainly had American species in the show. Even though I thought some of the trees were a couple years from being really spectacular, the trunks and basic design were astounding.

Third, the Cup was an experience, from the entryway into the exhibition to the perfect coordination of the events, the whole weekend was a huge success. Although the lighting was dark, the lights highlighted certain aspects of the trees you might not have ever seen before. The lighting also forced you to focus on the trees themselves rather than the crowds that packed the exhibit every day.

Fourth, the Cup embraced the city of Portland itself, offering tours to the local gardens of Mirai, Hagedorn, and Pacific Rim. The awards brunch was held in an esteemed restaurant, rather than the dismal hotel catering we tend to see at most shows.

Fifth, the Cup was free of distractions like workshops and had just the right amount of things going on. Having no workshops meant that the attendees could focus on the exhibition, shop when they needed to, and attend one of the 3 panel discussions. The panel discussions were a great idea, and everyone enjoyed talking about the future of bonsai and different aspects of the show.

Things to ponder:
I would have liked to see more variety of the sizes of trees in the exhibition. The majority of trees in the show were BIG TREES. Do all bonsai need to be gigantic to be impressive? I was quite impressed by Eric Schrader's elegant shimpaku.

The show was very tree focused. Is that what American bonsai is, or can we still have thoughtful displays that resonate with our culture. Part if this has to do with the different schools of bonsai, where Ryan is more of a tree emphasized guy just like Kimura was, and Michael pays more attention to display, just like Suzuki. (Speaking of Michael, I thought he had the best overal display of his vine maple on a nylon platform, and little crabs for a companion. It instantly took my mind to the Oregon Coast.) I disliked most of the companion pieces in the show, because in my opinion they simply did not make sense. Either they were too big or small, or the species of the the accents plants and trees were not harmonious. This is something that in my opinion American bonsai is extremely lacking in.

High vendor prices. There were many great vendors at the show, but I generally found prices for collected material to be what I would expect for a finished tree, not as it was collected. It seemed everyone had higher prices than they normally do just because the crowd was the artisans cup. That being said there was amazing material for sale and some great pots. (I made out with a RMJ from Randy Knight and a couple Hagedorn pots that I bought while touring Michaels garden.)

Confusion about the next Cup. It seems the Neil's plan to take the Cup to Sydney, Australia next. This is entirely confusing to me, as I thought the Artisans Cup was all about embracing American bonsai. That is at least how it has been marketed from what I've seen. In my opinion, the Cup would greatly benefit from being held in the US every few years, and not taking it abroad.

Lastly, the vast majority of people who had trees shown at the cup were people that work with respected bonsai professionals on a regular and semi-regular basis. If you are not currently studying with a Michael Hagedorn, Matt Reel, Ryan Neil, or Boon Manakitivipart type figure, and you want to step up your game, these people know what they're talking about. It's no wonder that the vast majority of the exhibitiors studied with one or many of these experts.

Overall, the Cup was an extremely powerful weekend, and the Neil's made it an experience, not just as show. Now that the Cup is over, I am anxious to see how it's impression will influence upcoming shows in the US. Will we continue to have bonsai shows in run-down convention centers, or will we embrace the ideals of the Cup, and put as much effort into our shows as we do our trees?

Only time will tell!

 

[Djtommy]

Whats the opinion on amount of trees?
I believe there was 70, was this limited by space or?

 

[The Bonsai Herald]

Whats the opinion on amount of trees?
I believe there was 70, was this limited by space or?

I liked the amount, and it was an okay size for the space.

 

[The Bonsai Herald]

Very great post on the statistics of the Artisan's Cup scorings. (When does Eric not have a great post though?)

http://www.phutu.com/the-artisans-cup-judging/

 

[A Random User]

Not to discredit Eric's statistics, his article (which I believe was very well done), or the Artisan's Cup...
But if the majority of the trees in the show were conifers, would it really come to any surprise that the majority of the trees that would be winning would be...
Conifers? I mean this seems to have very little to do with actual judging or even the development of particular type of bonsai by artists or, this development time, and more to do with what one would normally call statistics, right? If one has 1o really awesome trees and two are non conifers... I would say there is an 80 % chance that the highest scoring trees might be a conifer... seeing that there are 8 of them. So, I think the article's conclusion is a little reaching...

I was unable to attend... however, my reaction from what I have seen from my own comfy couch is that it seems to have been a success. It seems to have brought what could be argued "perhaps some new ideas" in the way of how shows are presented and their location, as well as how trees, and their presentation through display can be widened... There have been shows before in actual Museums, so this is not the first. Perhaps of this scale... and attention... I think that in some way shape or form does raise the bar of perhaps bonsai to that of a higher form of art, which is where I personally think it should be. The lighting, that seems to have been so controversial, really is quite understandable to anyone ever attending an art museum, which one will often find dramatic lighting in an installation... For me personally this says more about how traditional exhibits are often done, and the lack of any understanding of how one actually stages art. Which for me, reminds me more of a bake sale... or one's grocery or convenient store. Florescent lights just flooding a room, with often a blue curtain behind a tree.

Side note... I wanted to add, that one of the things not really covered regarding the lighting, is that the human eye actual dilates and adjusts to the lighting... A camera does not. So, with the pictures all kind of detail is going to be lost that would normally be seen.

Now... there were a couple of things that did turn me off a little, however and I am sure quite a few folks as well... and that was the floating around of concept that only the best and all of the best trees in America were there. Now, I understand, the need to push and promote the event... so I get it, however the choice of words could perhaps have been a little better. Cause, I am quite sure, "all" of the best and "only" the best trees in the Americas were not there... I think there was a good representation of "some" of the best trees there... I like Ryan Neil's work as well as a lot of other folk's work on the west coast and I like conifers with lots of deadwood, however there are a whole slew of people doing bonsai that have awesome mad skills, that perhaps are, or are not working with conifers, that don't live on the west coast, and did not attend or show a tree at the show.

For us slightly older folks, it's a little like when Nirvana all of a sudden invented a new form of music, that the rest of us had been listening to for years... we just called punk rock... and let lumberjacks wear flannel.

 

[sorce]

For us slightly older folks, it's a little like when Nirvana all of a sudden invented a new form of music, that the rest of us had been listening to for years... we just called punk rock... and let lumberjacks wear flannel.

This is great!

Sorce

 

[A Random User]

Also... wanted to ask was there any trees from any of the other "Americas" than just the US?
Just curious... a lot of really awesome folks doing work down in Mexico, Puerto Rico, and up in Canada... which are taken into consideration even with ABS, and I believe The US Exhibition.

Not trying to necessarily knock the event with my comments... I am very grateful to anyone doing anything to promote and progress bonsai. I just think that perhaps some of the bugs need to be worked out if there is to be a next time.

 

[rockm]

The article doesn't really get into what I think is part of what's steering American bonsai these days--big, BIG collected Western Conifers.
To continue the music metaphor. Like pop music has been dominated by rap for the last 30 years, there appears to be only one game in town for American bonsaiists if they want any "significant" attention--BIG BIG expensive collected conifers.

Like not all rap is bad, the flood of collected conifers isn't either, for the most part. However, they overshadow everything else at the expense of everything else.

 

[sorce]

I want to see Kermit the Frog's reaction to Artisans and a cup.

Sorce

 

[barrosinc]

I want to see Kermit the Frog's reaction to Artisans and a cup.

Sorce

good enough?
we don't even have junipers or pines native to the zone.

 

[Vin]

Confusion about the next Cup. It seems the Neil's plan to take the Cup to Sydney, Australia next. This is entirely confusing to me, as I thought the Artisans Cup was all about embracing American bonsai. That is at least how it has been marketed from what I've seen.

This, in my opinion, greatly diminishes what the Artisan's Cup was hyped up to be. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with holding an event like this in Australia. In fact, I wouldn't be a bit surprised if they were much less critical down under. However, promote it with a different name and direction or it will end up being just another bonsai show in the end. Ryan has created something special; it should be left that way... Has he never watched Field of Dreams?

 

[thumblessprimate1]

View attachment 83335

good enough?
we don't even have junipers or pines native to the zone.

Yamadori conifers is our strength. Still, I'd like to see more and more fine deciduous. Perhaps a category for deciduous as well?

 

[rockm]

Well, no conifers aren't our strength. Not really. We have a ton more conifer AND deciduous AND broad leafed evergreen species than Europe and East asia.
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v339/n6227/abs/339699a0.html
It's been claimed that the number of tree species in a single acre of an Appalachian Cove Forest, alone, outnumbers all tree species in Europe. That's only east of the Mississippi and north of the Mexican border and doesn't even address SOUTH America. Add in the huge territory in only the Western U.S. and it would swallow Europe and Japan whole with room for a lot of China. That's potential and a lot of room for strength.

High altitude conifers are only a small part of the picture in North America. The "problem" is that they've become trophies, fads, whatever you want to call them. They are sought out by people who have never actually seen one "in the wild."

The issue is that American bonsai masters, if they truly want to be what they call themselves, have to start looking at things besides what's easiest and most convenient for them. I understand there are "regional" strengths, but come on, if you're going to have a "best show in America" you have to be a little more foresighted than having 89 percent of the trees collected within 500 miles of each other...That's not America, that's the PNW...

It's certainly not the high Appalachian mountain hardwood forest that's familiar to me (home to literati lightning struck beech, oaks and wild azalea), nor the spectacular oaks of the Southern Plains (which are every bit as evocative of time and weather as a high altitude juniper), nor the smashed ancient thuja cedar on the Niagara escarpment (which used to rule bonsai shows two decades ago, but for some reason seem to have been forgotten). It's also not the teeming coastal lowland forests of the U.S. southern coasts.

In believing that Western high altitude collected trees are the ultimate bonsai, we're putting all our bonsai eggs in a single deadwood encrusted basket at the expense of a henhouse full of other options just as worthy.

I'll get off my soapbox now.

 

[rockm]

And yeah, I know it was a monumental thing that Ryan pulled off and he was probably only able to do it in his backyard given the resources.

I'm talking about the future of U.S. bonsai and future shows.

 

[Nybonsai12]

So with the talk of Australia being the next host of the cup I recall a blurb about one of the shows biggest sponsors/financial backers being form Australia? is that correct? If so I can completely understand why it would be there. You scratch my back, I scratch yours is as old as time. If it helps progress the show further in time than great. I think going where you have to in order to build up steam is standard practice to getting big.

And if it does in fact help bring it back to the US to be hosted at NY's MOMA than it is certainly a great thing. Having a bonsai show in the biggest(and best ) city would be a great platform with a great shot at an enormous audience.

As for non PNW American Bonsai species not being seen in the show, were there a great deal submitted? or are artists just not using them? is it because they are harder and will take longer? I ask because I don't know.

I have little exposure to the bonsai world, but I would love to see examples of high quality trees from US species(as long as they're not tropicals ).

 

[Paulpash]

Were there any Japanese Maples in the Cup? I love Serge's trees and was surprised his and Bill's trees did not figure more in the mix.

 

[MACH5]

For anyone that knows a little bit about American art history, this reminds of it. In the 50's, when action painters and abstract expressionism (ie. Jackson Pollock, DeKooning, etc) came into the scene, the only way it seems that you were ever to be taken seriously as an artist was is if you painted on enormous canvases with brushes the size of brooms, literally. BIG and even BIGGER (and abstract) was the modus operandi. Thankfully, after they made their mark, other styles and smaller scale art became relevant and viable forms of expression once again.

So... for those, like me, that don't have $10,000+ to spend on a yamadori of awesome size and deadwood acrobatics, the time will eventually come when other species and sizes will become a refreshing site at least in what we define as American bonsai.

 

[MACH5]

Were there any Japanese Maples in the Cup? I love Serge's trees and was surprised his and Bill's trees did not figure more in the mix.

Marie, I do know that Bill had two fantastic and well known Japanese maples in the show. From pics, I believe I saw at least another one there as well. I personally did not submit anything to the Cup.

 

[Eric Schrader]

But if the majority of the trees in the show were conifers, would it really come to any surprise that the majority of the trees that would be winning would be...
Conifers?

A good point - but note that only 68% of the trees in the show were conifers while 100% of the top 14 scores went to conifers. I made a mistake in the article (more than one actually) because the top-scoring broadleaf was actually #15 in the standings, not #14. (The buttonwood)

the floating around of concept that only the best and all of the best trees in America were there... I am quite sure, "all" of the best and "only" the best trees in the Americas were not there... I think there was a good representation of "some" of the best trees there... there are a whole slew of people doing bonsai that have awesome mad skills, that perhaps are, or are not working with conifers, that don't live on the west coast, and did not attend or show a tree at the show.

Side note - apologies for editing your quote, if only to consolidate the key points...

My article primarily addresses the judging statistics of the show and my conclusions discuss what they may mean for bonsai in the US. But you make a point worth remembering - this show did not accurately represent the entire American bonsai scene, it only represented people who wanted to participate and were able or willing to expend the resources to enter. Perhaps the results of the judging speak only to a skewed sample.

The standout broadleaf trees in my mind were the #15 scored Buttonwood (score 46) and the imported Japanese Beech shown by the PBM (score 44). Only one other broadleaf tree scored above the mean, it was Loren Buxton's Hornbeam (tree #9, score 44). There are numerous ways to interpret this, but the data is there for anyone to see. No domestically produced broadleaf tree (either collected or grown) from the western side of the country scored above the mean.

 

[fredman]

I was eagerly awaiting the photos of this huge event. Must say I'm actually disappointed as all I see is conifers and pines.
Would've liked to see some broad leaved trees to.....