Ed Laurers Ginkgo tree

[johng]

I wish we could have some shows where politics weren't at play. I have judged a few local shows at my club and tried to be as impartial as possible but when you know the people behind their trees and the inequality of their incomes and one tree being checkbook and the other diy, it makes it really complicated.

I usually end up giving more points to the artist that does more of the work themself than having a pro do 90% of the work. But most of the time its the collector with the fatter checkbook that wins because its a better, older tree.

How could we have better voting? Do you think if we had 10 judges all judge the trees and then do a random draw of three of the judges scores and those would be used to judge the show?

the judges are the issue... it is just the nature of the beast...humans Only people care care about awards...never once I have seen a pissed off tree because it didn't get selected...

I've always been in favor of competition but as I learn more about how things really work perhaps we need shows without awards???

I'm totally aware of the problem with people's choice awards...at least is an honest award based on many individuals perceptions...

I always liked the peer awards at the CBE...voted on by participating club members only...still subject to problems but much less so than an individual or small group assigning awards....

Playing devil's advocate, but the old style of favoritism judging has some advantages. Bill V may know the history and work someone put into an ugly tree, so they get a prize vs "I imported this last year from Korea."

Although I do give Bill a lot of credit for everything he does, unfortunately, it is far more likely that it is completely the opposite scenario...

 

[Cadillactaste]

My two cents is probably more like half a penny as I do not own a Ginko and know nothing about growing/training/judging them. The only thought I have is that where the branches emerge from the trunk there is a marked difference in age, color, and possibly taper. But I don't know enough about them to determine if that is always the case or not a factor. I think it looks AWESOME though.

They are a different breed of species. Ginkgo that is. you either embrace them as they are. Or... don't. The tree itself was a nice specimen as bonsai go for the species.

 

[KikurageOtomo]

My two cents is probably more like half a penny as I do not own a Ginko and know nothing about growing/training/judging them. The only thought I have is that where the branches emerge from the trunk there is a marked difference in age, color, and possibly taper. But I don't know enough about them to determine if that is always the case or not a factor. I think it looks AWESOME though.

To my understanding the Chichi cultivar is often propagated from its hanging er... "breasts" so to speak. If created this way, its entirely possible this had no natural branching of its own before being layered off its mother tree. That's entirely speculation, but I'd agree that while the branching has great dynamism, it doesn't convey the same age and weight that the trunk does.

 

[Bonsai_hope]

As someone very new to bonsai (in my retirement) I would like to offer a perspective. I am trained in the social sciences but have been an “artist” as an avocation since I’m 11 years old. I’ve studied painting, sculpting, and glass blowing for many years. I have very few sales and, quite honestly, never wanted to sell my art. I tend to give it away to friends, family, and even strangers (plumbers, electrician, carpenters who may be working at my house) who might see it and admire it. I have always felt that creating art for others approval may be a necessary evil for those who need the income from it, but it was never my motivation.

I am approaching bonsai in the same way. I like trees. In my younger days I was fortunate to have the property and the strength to collect full size trees. Every year I would plant a few and had some lovely and rare specimens. Having downsized I still like trees but haven’t the space to create the kind of collection I’ve had in the past. (I also don’t relish the thought of digging the holes which in Savannah is a lot easier than in Pennsylvania where rocks are so prevalent). So I returned to something that interested me 55 years ago when I first saw the Bonsai collection at the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens. Now I like small trees in small pots. I don’t care what the Japanese or Chinese masters teach. I’ve watched over 1,000 hours of YouTube videos from all sorts of pundits. I adopt what I like and reject what I don’t. I do bonsai for me and no one else.

I’m not criticizing those who want the approval of others. I think that ginkgo is beautiful and would love to have it in my collection. Judging art is subjective. There are no metrics as in track and field or baseball. When I see a “First Place” ribbon at a juried art show it doesn’t make me like a piece better than the other pieces. I like some and dislike others.