Reactions to the First Artisans Cup

[bonsaiBlake]

It was really an amazing event. I guess for me the experience is going to be very different and biased than most. This really was my first time seeing trees. And it made an impression I will carry for a lifetime. The displays were fantastic. . . I agree completely on the accent pieces, while most of them were beautiful when viewed as an individual plant or planting most of them really didn't make sense with the overall displays. I find it interesting no one is talking about the fact that the only "scrolls" to speak of were longboard decks, on of which accompanied a mind blowing hydrangea.

My favorite display was the Kirby tree, followed by the 2 vine maples, and I believe it was an alder(the owners first name was Dennis)It was really showing nice yellow fall color, how he was able to create a pioneer species of that stature I may never learn.

I felt like a lot of the trees looked very traditional or of a more eastern feel. If I had to use one word it would be Powerful. As it has been mentioned the average size of these trees was quite large. ( I'm in damn good shape and helping to lift and move those things was no easy task.

All in all it was the best first experience with the real world of bonsai I could ever have imagined, oh and theres a surprise ending that will start in another thread. . . Basically a guy whos been doing this longer than I've been alive and has been studying with ryan for the last 3years has an office down the street from my work and is going to take on teaching me. All because of the artisans cup and bonsainut. . . .

 

[Adair M]

BonsaiBlake, you will have a great head start on your bonsai career by seeing those spectacular trees, and getting a knowledgable mentor! Good for you!

By the way, Kirby didn't say who styled that tree, did he?

Here he is in action:



Film at 11...

 

[LanceMac10]

Saw...check

Boonie hat and flip flops?

You can add later!

Being six foot plus can be a pain, I've got to stack up milkcrates!!

Fine wine at conclusion?

 

[A Random User]

I find it interesting no one is talking about the fact that the only "scrolls" to speak of were longboard decks, on of which accompanied a mind blowing hydrangea.

If one is referring to "scrolls" for display and accenting one's tree... This has to do with the fact that they were not allowed.

 

[Txhorticulture]

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

If you're talking biological diversity of trees, the Mexican highlands are tough to beat. There are more species of pine native to Mexico than the rest of the world combined. In the siskiyou mountains in northern California and southern oregon there is more conifer diversity than pretty much anywhere on earth.

Off the top of my head there are 5 0r 6 different species of juniper in texas alone. More than half a dozen different pines in texas, even more oaks.

The prevalanCE of western conifers in American bonsai isn't surprising though. The Pacific Northwest is a horticultural mecca due to is mild maritime climate. And parts of California are just so damn nice weather wise that most things are easy to grow. And when it comes to the big trees - West of the north american continental divide is where they grow. The biggest, sequoia and seqouiadendron aren't easy to cultivate in other parts of the world with few exceptions.

But yeah I hear you. More of America needs to represented in bonsai and more of our trees. But that means we need to develop plants other than japanese black pine and shimpaku junipers. I doubt we will ever do japanese trees better than the japanese. We can easily do American flora in an American way better than anyone.

 

[crust]

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.

There was J maps there--you can view the whole list of what was there by DL the A-Cup brochure/catalog via the A-Cup site and see what was shown.

 

[The Bonsai Herald]

If one is referring to "scrolls" for display and accenting one's tree... This has to do with the fact that they were not allowed.

In one of the Panel Discussions, Ryan stated that scrolls were not allowed because scrolls are something common to the Japanese culture. His reasoning was that scrolls were something that were not a part of our culture, so he didn't want them in the cup.

Also on the note of decidious trees, let's not forget about Michael Hagedorn's vine maple. I thought it was stunning. His vine maple creation was not just a spectacular tree, but in my opinion the best display as a whole. It was the most American display in the show in my opinion.

A quick comment on the skateboards. I didn't like them in the Cup, but I like the idea to do an out of the ordinary special exhibit with them at the Pacific Museum. I didn't find them tasteful to be in the cup. They made absolutely no sense individually.

 

[crust]

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!

What a perfectly succinct blurb. And I really agree with your points. I was also confused by the Australian A-Cup thing, like what? It made no sense."The Neil's made it an experience, not just as show" was so true. And I was pretty disappointed in the vending too. I was hopping for more variety in potters and more stuff. I wanted to look at carving burrs. As for the collected stuff, well my savings took a mean bite just coming and somehow I was not able to cough up thousands for anything--I did get a couple of nice pots though. Funny, my lovely wife was most attracted to Eric's elegant shimpaku and Mike's maple (she called it the spider tree). For me, it was a moving experience, so many people commented and acknowledged my exhibit, pulling me aside and telling me they thought it was important for the show.

 

[crust]

In one of the Panel Discussions, Ryan stated that scrolls were not allowed because scrolls are something common to the Japanese culture. His reasoning was that scrolls were something that were not a part of our culture, so he didn't want them in the cup.

Also on the note of decidious trees, let's not forget about Michael Hagedorn's vine maple. I thought it was stunning. His vine maple creation was not just a spectacular tree, but in my opinion the best display as a whole. It was the most American display in the show in my opinion.

A quick comment on the skateboards. I didn't like them in the Cup, but I like the idea to do an out of the ordinary special exhibit with them at the Pacific Museum. I didn't find them tasteful to be in the cup. They made absolutely no sense individually.

Skate boards??

 

[The Bonsai Herald]

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.

Keep on keepin' on! I'm one of the few it seems that believe you don't need a big tree to have an impressive tree. Also I believe that decidious trees can be the heroes of our benches, at least just as much as conifers can.

I'm a classical musician by trade, and one thing that you have to remember about art is that the space where it is displayed (or performed) is very important to the overall impression. The Boston Symphony performs Mozart and Beethoven impeccably well, but they seem to lack in new music. Likewise, there are some great concert venues in New York that champion new contemporary classical music, but don't expect much Beethoven or Mozart there.

Ryan comes from the aesthetic that the trees do all the talking, because that's how his teacher Kimura was. Kimura was also an expert in collected conifers. Someone like Michael however comes from a schooling where thoughtful display is very important, and Michael, like Suzuki, has a more well rounded collection of decidious and collected conifers. Michael like his teacher tends to think out of the box with delicate abstraction, while Ryan like his teacher focused on big powerful trees that sort of punch you in the face.

 

[The Bonsai Herald]

Skate boards??

Maybe they were long boards. They were with a couple trees from the Pacific Bonsai Museum displays.

 

[The Bonsai Herald]

What a perfectly succinct blurb. And I really agree with your points. I was also confused by the Australian A-Cup thing, like what? It made no sense."The Neil's made it an experience, not just as show" was so true. And I was pretty disappointed in the vending too. I was hopping for more variety in potters and more stuff. I wanted to look at carving burrs. As for the collected stuff, well my savings took a mean bite just coming and somehow I was not able to cough up thousands for anything--I did get a couple of nice pots though. Funny, my lovely wife was most attracted to Eric's elegant shimpaku and Mike's maple (she called it the spider tree). For me, it was a moving experience, so many people commented and acknowledged my exhibit, pulling me aside and telling me they thought it was important for the show.

Thanks! I thought that your Larch was indeed important to the show. It represented a distinct American bonsai aesthetic that Lenz pioneered in New England. It made me smile every time I walked past it. Thanks for submitting and bringing it to the Cup!

 

[thumblessprimate1]

In one of the Panel Discussions, Ryan stated that scrolls were not allowed because scrolls are something common to the Japanese culture. His reasoning was that scrolls were something that were not a part of our culture, so he didn't want them in the cup.

If that is what he said, then I'm flummoxed. He gets to decide the rules for his show, but shouldn't the rules make sense?

 

[coh]

In one of the Panel Discussions, Ryan stated that scrolls were not allowed because scrolls are something common to the Japanese culture. His reasoning was that scrolls were something that were not a part of our culture, so he didn't want them in the cup.

Also on the note of decidious trees, let's not forget about Michael Hagedorn's vine maple. I thought it was stunning. His vine maple creation was not just a spectacular tree, but in my opinion the best display as a whole. It was the most American display in the show in my opinion.

Any chance you (or anyone else posting here) has a picture of the vine maple display? I've seen lots of pics from the show, but can't remember seeing that one. I assume it's the same tree as here? http://crataegus.com/portfolio/vine-maple-tower-2015/

If so, can you elaborate on what made this "the most American display", in your opinion? Was there more to the display than pictured on his website?

Regarding scrolls, I'm actually kind of glad that they were not allowed. I think it's kind of refreshing to have the focus on the trees. Often scrolls seem distracting to me.

Chris

 

[whfarro]

I like the music analogy. ..continuing with that reference. ..is there a divide or perhaps even a rivalry (now or evolving) between East Coast and West Coast bonsai, like that in rap/ hip-hop. And if so can we equate champion deciduous shohin with "Biggie Smalls"...

 

[The Bonsai Herald]

I like the music analogy. ..continuing with that reference. ..is there a divide or perhaps even a rivalry (now or evolving) between East Coast and West Coast bonsai, like that in rap/ hip-hop. And if so can we equate champion deciduous shohin with "Biggie Smalls"...

In order to stay on the subject of this thread, I created another one to begin discussion on your question.

http://www.bonsainut.com/index.php?threads/bonsai-in-the-northeast.20676/

 

[The Bonsai Herald]

If that is what he said, then I'm flummoxed. He gets to decide the rules for his show, but shouldn't the rules make sense?

I think this actually made sense. Scrolls are not something American.

 

[bonsaiBlake]

Any chance you (or anyone else posting here) has a picture of the vine maple display? I've seen lots of pics from the show, but can't remember seeing that one. I assume it's the same tree as here? http://crataegus.com/portfolio/vine-maple-tower-2015/

That's the tree. Definitely looked more dramatic in person with that lighting.

Was there more to the display than pictured on his website?

Yes, there was sand with what appeared to be stone or cast little crabs. Really a cool piece, took me back to bing 9 and seeing the beach for the first time when I lived in Reedsport,OR(southern OR coast) with a great aunt and uncle.

 

[A Random User]

In one of the Panel Discussions, Ryan stated that scrolls were not allowed because scrolls are something common to the Japanese culture. His reasoning was that scrolls were something that were not a part of our culture, so he didn't want them in the cup.

I am truly hoping that somehow u misunderstood, and that he does not really believe that somehow Bonsai is any more a part of our culture than scrolls are...
for this is just laughable. I mean especially since we have all been doing Bonsai for so long here in the states.

I will leave it at that... I seems that more and more, Ryan does not care for quite a lot of things... But, one does not get to just reinvent reality.

 

[A Random User]

I think this actually made sense. Scrolls are not something American.

Can you please tell me how Scrolls are an less "American" than Bonsai itself is? Have we somehow now invented Bonsai ?
Man, the Kool-aid in Seattle must have been something! Cause everyone seems to be trippin' all of a sudden... Deciding what kind of trees are really American, obviously, and now deciding what kind of display is really American as well.