I think that the cosmic form lends a lot of possibility to accents outside the normal realm of accent display.
The figures are just that... accents meant to accompany and lend a complete image. If you remove them, the "tree" says something different, just as a different element in a traditional display would change the overall meaning and impression.
Its fine to critique a particular element as kitsch, but to levy that criticism against the overall style is regressive.
If laurent was coming to my area, Id be sure to try and attend and pick his brain both on the horticultural technique side of the cosmic bonsai style, as well as the philosophical/aesthetic side. I get the impression he is seeking the next step: symmetry-->asymmetry-->cosmic(?).
Lovecraft was all about "indescribable angles and dimension." What better artform to explore than that of bonsai?