3-point display

[Adair M]

So to explain the sample above, and how it is pertinent to fix the OP's first display.
The first picture is the original display.
The Main tree is a Black Pine 黒松 in a Moyougi 模様木 (informal upright) styling on a Rosewood midsize table.
The accent is a Himeshara 姫しゃら in a Kabudachi 株立ち styling on an irregular shaped informal slab (Sou no Sou).
The scroll is the image of a Nightingale 鶯 perched on bamboo.

The revised display by the Sensei is the lower picture.
The Black Pine and display are unchanged.
The accent is changed to a Plum (梅）that is just beginning to bloom in a literati (informal) slab on a round, finished rosewood slab.
The scroll is changed to a traveling monk with an alms bowl.

Important points regarding the changes. If you have not learned about the Shin 真, Gyou 行, Sou 草 system of formality in Japanese art esthetics some of the explanations may be difficult to comprehend. The formal species (Black Pine) with the formal styling (Moyougi) sets the tone for the entire display. Yes, I know in English we call Moyougi styling Informal upright, but it is mostly considered a formal bonsai style in Japan. The Himeshara in an informal style placed upon an informal slab is technically correct. However, the size of the tree and slab compared to the size of the main tree and slab causes too much competition and not enough harmony between the two pieces. Additionally the Himeshara in bloom is already an indicator of Spring seasonality and the Uguisu is redundant to indicate seasonality.

Changing to the Plum, decreases the size of the accent so that it no longer competes with the main tree. Additionally changing the slab to have a slightly more formal (technically this would be a Sou no Shin) jiita, helps to harmonize with the main tree and stand. The Ume in blossom also denotes the seasonality of the season, hence the removal of the Nightingale to not have redundant themes. Monk indicating Heaven.

Now...how does this relate to the OP's display.
The most glaring problem with the display to me is not being able to determine the main tree and the lack of harmony between the two. They are both main pieces in this context. Secondly, some have stated they feel the scroll is too large...but this is not my problem with the scroll. The field maple in the Cascade style is beautiful on that stand. But as another poster already mentioned this indicates elevation on a mountain. The picture in the scroll is distant mountains, and is a redundant theme in the display. Shooting for a winter display, I would keep only the field maple if the field maple can grow in elevated mountains, and put a scene in the scroll such as rabbit tracks in the snow, or a fox on the prowl...No other accent would be needed.

Insightful stuff, Johnathan.

When contemplating the OP’s display elements, I found the two trees really don’t complement each other, rather, they tend to compete with each other instead. Both are nice trees, but I think different companions would suit them better.

 

[Deleted member 21616]

@kakejiku wow! Thank you. I just learned--at least i think i learned--a lot from a single post.

Can i please ask if you might have any english (or french) language readings to recommend on the topic?

again, thank you!

 

[petegreg]

@kakejiku wow! Thank you. I just learned--at least i think i learned--a lot from a single post.

Can i please ask if you might have any english (or french) language readings to recommend on the topic?

again, thank you!

You can start checking his resources on bNut.

 

[TomB]

Thanks again for the insightful comments and suggestions everyone. I'll continue to experiment.
@dirk hoorelbeke good observation about the accent, thanks.
@JudyB that's not a slab, it's a very low root stand so it would be redundant with the tall one.
@kakejiku thank you for the detailed analysis and example. The picture below is the closest I can come to your suggestion, a robin on a snowy branch. Though it's not quite winter here yet, and I'm not really keen to see snow!

 

[kakejiku]

When you recreate the display like this, it is easy for the eye to focus on the main bonsai piece. The phrase "less is more" has often been brought up on this site. I think this is a good example. In this installation, the scroll does not look as big (long) as it did in the first pic...because the height of the table complements the scroll accent. You are projecting the upcoming season, but as I was thinking about it another good theme for winter display in Japan is the hawk. Since your scroll is a tansaku (shikishi) kake style scroll, you could have a painting with a bird of prey that symbolizes to you winter in the U.K. (If there is one)

Now this is nitpicking, but a small detail and maybe it is just the camera angle and not pertinent. But in your first picture, the tall shoku (卓）stand sits with all four legs visible, but in this pic, the stand legs in the middle look combined. If you rotated the table slightly, to get all four legs distinctly visible, it would also help to accentuate the flow nagare 流れ of the tree. Usually the nagare of the display runs right to left (when the tree is positioned on this side). In this particular iteration it is doing that, but the apex (or should I say nadir) of the bonsai is slightly curving into the viewer. Rotating the table to visibly show all legs and allowing the bonsai to flow more right to left, might help the visual impact of the entire installation.

Great Job on a beautiful bonsai and installation, and thank you for letting me participate in your installation! BTW, I love the look of the base of this tree. I think I can see the individual roots start from the moss and I like this character in your bonsai. Also, the pot has a very earthy, copper glaze, which I feel enhances the tree in this leafless state. Perhaps if it was displayed in a different season you would want a different color glaze.

 

[Forsoothe!]

I'm not going to pretend to understand the foregoing, but learning starts with the first step. Here is a display that needs some brutal frankness because I don't understand the principles and rules involved. Have at it...

 

[Adair M]

I will give you some things to think about. First of all, there are 4 elements. This, to my eye, makes it look jumbled or “busy”.

Both the trees are what looks to be a broadleaf evergreen. They should be of different varieties. One should deciduous tree, or a conifer, or something that has a different leaf shape than the other.

 

[dirk hoorelbeke]

I don't know squat but i would add: Accent is too young, scroll is too big, accent pot to close in colour to the small tree, direction of the small tree, the "carpet" under the tree and accent are to similar and don't give me a good vibe. The good thing is you have nice trees and the guts to try and show. Are the species known as high-mountain species like the mountain on the scroll? Does the accent live there? What season is it on the scroll and what do your trees show?

 

[TomB]

there are 4 elements

This has come up a few times in critiques. I don't disagree with your analysis here.
However, look at these pictures on Facebook from the recent Gafu-ten that featured scrolls.

Facebook link

https://www.facebook.com/kei.misaki.94/posts/6652400315079378

In almost all cases, these displays have four elements (IF you count a scroll as an element - I know there's a school of thought that one should not).

 

[Forsoothe!]

Thanks, and I hope others will put in their two cents, too. The examples have a lot of space to work with, a luxury I don't have at a show. Is the scroll always supposed to correspond to the accent tree? Should the tree that is reflective of the season and location on the scroll also be on a display stand that reflects the elevation involved? Should the three pots be as different in color, or nature as possible, or should #1, 2, or 3 be of the color and/or nature of some other specific pot? Should the stands or mats be as different in color, shape, or texture as possible, or should they be ~consistent~ in some way? Is there some element that ties everything together, or is that to be avoided? Please feel free to reconstruct my questions so they apply to the art and tradition (I have a tendency to think in engineering terms as opposed to feng shui).

 

[Adair M]

This has come up a few times in critiques. I don't disagree with your analysis here.
However, look at these pictures on Facebook from the recent Gafu-ten that featured scrolls.

Facebook link

https://www.facebook.com/kei.misaki.94/posts/6652400315079378

In almost all cases, these displays have four elements (IF you count a scroll as an element - I know there's a school of thought that one should not).

If you notice the examples in the Facebook post, if the scroll is large, there are three total elements. If the scroll is small, then there are four.

The Facebook displays do not look crowded.

The Forsouthe! Display has the scroll set really low (what’s the little box?) rather than hanging, all the elements compete for attention rather than complement each other.

 

[Forsoothe!]

If you notice the examples in the Facebook post, if the scroll is large, there are three total elements. If the scroll is small, then there are four.

The Facebook displays do not look crowded.

The Forsouthe! Display has the scroll set really low (what’s the little box?) rather than hanging, all the elements compete for attention rather than complement each other.

The box covers and disguises a heavy steel block which holds a post which impales a bamboo post that which has a hook and a Buddha finial which holds the scroll. There are few scrolls displayed in local shows here because there ain't no hooks. Believe me when I say that my jerry-rigged setup took a long time to scrounge parts to assemble into what you see. It's one of a kind. It, or something like it are the only ways a scroll can be introduced into use, locally. Don't bother suggesting that I speak to the show managers, etc. I'm not bullet-proof.

 

[Forsoothe!]

If someone could interpret the verse, I would be grateful. (I'm hoping it's not an advertisement for something like "Tojo's laxative will leave you feeling as clean as a mountain stream...)

 

[Adair M]

Thanks, and I hope others will put in their two cents, too. The examples have a lot of space to work with, a luxury I don't have at a show. Is the scroll always supposed to correspond to the accent tree? Should the tree that is reflective of the season and location on the scroll also be on a display stand that reflects the elevation involved? Should the three pots be as different in color, or nature as possible, or should #1, 2, or 3 be of the color and/or nature of some other specific pot? Should the stands or mats be as different in color, shape, or texture as possible, or should they be ~consistent~ in some way? Is there some element that ties everything together, or is that to be avoided? Please feel free to reconstruct my questions so they apply to the art and tradition (I have a tendency to think in engineering terms as opposed to feng shui).

Ok, I have the rare opportunity to give you Daisaku Nomoto’s critique:

He also says it doesn’t need 4 elements. You have a big tree, no scroll is needed.

Rather than having a second tree, he would prefer an accent plant.

The big tree should have a taller stand, with a surface that’s bigger than the bottom of the pot. Also, both stands are too similiar.

And if you wanted to use a scroll, it should be much higher. But a thinner scroll would be better.


Daisaku is on the Board of Directors of the Nippon Shohin Association, and just won the award for best Shonin Diaplay. He knows a thing or two about display!

Cheers!

 

[Adair M]

If someone could interpret the verse, I would be grateful. (I'm hoping it's not an advertisement for something like "Tojo's laxative will leave you feeling as clean as a mountain stream...)View attachment 224513

Daisaku can’t read it. He says it’s not Japanese, might be Chinese.

 

[TN_Jim]

I seek to know more about this. It is captivating.

In the bit of design I do know, when faced with a challenge of placing within space, making or trying to see things as b/w helps me.

I can’t do it with my phone but increasing the gamma and contrast too after b/w can really make the most powerful elements stand out, and also show their influence on the subtle elements.

For instance, it is so odd how a series of things can look perfectly centered, but when you actually center them they look off balance. That light and dark that is there all along can be shrouded by color.

In this setup, it appears to me that the tree on the right is the display complimented by the other observing elements.

I dunno..thanks.

 

[Forsoothe!]

I can tell you why: The registration table was right square in front of it and I couldn't get my body more to the right without being too close to get everything. I didn't think at the time I was taking a portrait to show the world...

 

[Forsoothe!]

Ok, I have the rare opportunity to give you Daisaku Nomoto’s critique:

He also says it doesn’t need 4 elements. You have a big tree, no scroll is needed.

Rather than having a second tree, he would prefer an accent plant.

The big tree should have a taller stand, with a surface that’s bigger than the bottom of the pot. Also, both stands are too similiar.

And if you wanted to use a scroll, it should be much higher. But a thinner scroll would be better.


Daisaku is on the Board of Directors of the Nippon Shohin Association, and just won the award for best Shonin Diaplay. He knows a thing or two about display!

Cheers!

Do I extrapolate that a scroll is used to bulk-up a display with too little content, like a smaller, plain tree, or a tree too small to stand on its own? Like needing a scroll to tell, "The Rest of The Story..."? As opposed to having a small, but really elaborate tree with lots of intricate detail. (Too put it as poorly and clumsily as possible) Is there a feng shui number of individual "interesting" aspects which is considered either too few, too many, or just right?

 

[Forsoothe!]

I found this old post at the bottom of the page, and it dovetails, nicely.