Toko Kazari 2011

[kakejiku]

Kuzuhara Sensei's critique...
First off, the flow of the main tree and the placement of the display are opposite. In the case of using this main tree, it should be seated on the right hand side of the display, to make it a right to have it become a left flowing display. (Sashoute or Migishoute, I am not sure on the correct reading if it is considered one word or mixes on and kun yomi), because the bonsai's left hand side will create space. A tree that flows to the left should have the pot placed a little more to the right.
But because it was set up to be a display on the left flowing to the right please understand what I will say from this point on. This tree is not yet a finished bonsai, and I have done a virt to show how if it were to be a finished bonsai that was a Hidari Shoute (Flowing to the right) display how I would try to style it.
In the revised picture the pot, and foliage, as well as the table and accent placement provides more balance for the display. Additionally, the picture of the waterfall in the scroll follows the same pattern as the tree and is redundant to the display, and I slightly amended the picture in the scroll to try and minimize this effect.

 

[tmmason10]

I have to say while this thread is very new and interesting to me, your skills with Photoshop are very good kake.

 

[kakejiku]

I have to say while this thread is very new and interesting to me, your skills with Photoshop are very good kake.

Kuzuhara Sensei's work, not mine...this is the method he uses to show how a display could be better...

 

[Juniperus Californica]

I would love to participate at some point, but what resources are available to learn what the heck the rules are? I have to admit, I haven't found any books or resources that go into Toko Kazari in depth. Can anyone recommend some resources?

Thanks
JC

 

[Smoke]

I would love to participate at some point, but what resources are available to learn what the heck the rules are? I have to admit, I haven't found any books or resources that go into Toko Kazari in depth. Can anyone recommend some resources?

Thanks
JC

Spend some time with Larry and Nina Ragle. They have studied with Sudo.

 

[Smoke]

I will ask him, although I can throw my opinion on the matter. I think Seki Kazari translated as a tabletop display is slightly different. Here is a sample of Kuzuhara Sensei's display, with a translation of the meaning of the display. He calls this a Seki Kazari style display. The setup was the same as that at the Clark Center. A raised platform with a Tatami. In this same competition, when it was actually placed in an area with side walls and additional raised platform, then it became a Toko no Ma kazari....If the display lacks the Hashira (pillars) and sidewalls, even if it is on a raised platform it is called Seki Kazari.

Whether we hit the mark or not, our intention is to present as close a facsimile to what a display would look like in a Tokonoma. Not being able to permanately alter the interior of the museum to fit our needs has forced us to adopt more portable ideas to achieving a Tokonoma look while being able to convert the museum back to a museum venue when we are finished. The method we have chosen is to use shoji screens to seperate each display while making the shoji's easily portable. Our display idea is to have presenters display a bonsai with accessories in a harmonious creation while adhearing to the current season. A long as a displayer moves ahead in the season and not backwards, then latitude has been given. These were guidelines offered to the TokoKazari management by judges we felt qualified to judge the event. Having trained at the Keido school in Japan by Mr. Sudo. Larry and Nina Ragle were very positive and spent a lot of time in offering a set or rules in which to judge the event. The first two Kazari's were judged by Larry and Nina Ragle and traditional and strict Keido rules were used in the judging. In year two Kathy Shaner was introduced as a judge. Andreas Marks, Curator of the museum and highly credentialed in Japanese antiquities as well as art and display has judged all three years. This year Kathy and Andreas judged as a two man team. The judging from my point of view was very different without the strict Keido rules. Kathy seemed to judge more from the heart, rather than from a written set of rules.

As far as the difference between Seki Kazari and Toko Kazari, as far as what I have studied as well as heard from those more in the know than I is that with Toko Kazari far more weight is thrown towards the display as a whole rather than the weight of any one piece. Bringing the best tree possible to this display contest is not a sure fire winner in the eyes of the jusdges if everything else in the display does not harmonize.

At Kokufu which displays on a raised platform with Tatami but no enclosure, we are allowed to display as many as five items if we wanted. The redunduncy could be overwhelming. I offer these two displays by two of the most accredited teachers in our state, yet the judges had many critiques of these diplays as offered. Mainly the use of two trees in a display. While this is common practise in Japan at most of the modern display venues it is not what we commonly do with what we are trying to achieve here. From my point of view this would be considered Seki Kazari. If the two are considered the same thing, then we in the west need to do a better job in defining what it is we are trying to do. There are many tree competitions around the country where the emphisis is on tree not "display". While the tree may be in a display, it is not the display being judged. Boon's yearly "Exhibit of fine Bonsai" comes to mind. Here bonsai are displayed Kokufu style with two trees and accents, and sometimes scrolls.

Many times the trees and accents and scrolls do not harmonize but the display is set up more as an asthetic to the technical aspects of the "trees" displayed.

I think there is a need for this sort of thing. I don't think it has to be so rooted in Japan to make it expressive here.

 

[Juniperus Californica]

Spend some time with Larry and Nina Ragle. They have studied with Sudo.

That's fine advice but not practical! Directing me to a website or some kind of publication might work better. By the way, how is this art form going to grow if we're depending on a few people to disseminate the knowledge?

Thanks
JC

 

[Smoke]

Lets examine some displays from Boon's show and see how they might relate to what we do in the museum.

In the first display we have a magnificent pine. It is shown on a great table and the table has texture and fits the pot really well. That is the main object in the display. What accompanies the tree are adornments for a pleasing asthetic. The accent plant has too may species in it to be appropriate for Keido. The accent is shown with numerous blooms in January. While the plant is obviously blooming in January we understand that botanically it "can" bloom in January, but display wise, and story telling wise, we don't want to show a plant blooming in Jan. Maybe we can show crocus just starting to crack the soil and push forth it blossom buds or maybe a display of dried and withered grass that might be seen in the harsh of winter cold. I don't feel winter when I see a kusomono with spring flowers on it.

Then we look at the scroll. I see a water bird. Maybe a pelican. Nice scroll and artfully executed but a fuzzy story. This display when seen shows a masterfully executed pine tree with some tastefull adornments. The emphasis here is on the tree.

 

[Smoke]

This display could be taken from here and probably displayed in the museum and place. While the display is good for a table top, the scroll will look much too small in the large museum. The 14 foot tall walls will dwarf this 30 inch long scroll. Most of the scrolls we use in the museum are 7 to 8 feet long.

The kusa here while not being exactly right for winter works pretty well due to the red leaves and the rusty pot. Good winter colors. The cloudy moon is appropriate for Jan.

 

[Smoke]

That's fine advice but not practical! Directing me to a website or some kind of publication might work better. By the way, how is this art form going to grow if we're depending on a few people to disseminate the knowledge?

Thanks
JC

Might want to update your profile. I thought you lived in the Los Angelas area. Sorry if I don't have more....there is no more.

Most of the books are in Japanese and very hard to come by. I bought some books on Keido display from Japan two years ago and they were 80.00 dollars a piece plus 35.00 shipping. There is text but in Japanese. I bought 200.00 worth of picture books. I learned a lot. I have given two demonstrations on display to two clubs in the state. I am working on details to do another next year in So. Cal.

I have been working on display for about 8 years heavily. I have looked all over the web, my teacher is Japanese and we have worked together since he won the kazari last year and we have found nothing that will help in this area on the net.

http://bonsainut.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-4984.html

That link will take you to a discussion about a book that could be a place yet for some info, but is lacking in detail and you will be ill equipped to really know how to set up a display, but the pictures are nice. The book may be still available on Amazon.

Search Keido on google. Be prepared there is not much.

 

[Smoke]

By the way, how is this art form going to grow if we're depending on a few people to disseminate the knowledge?

Thanks
JC

Thats why I am here talking about it. To share my experiences, and my succeses and my failures so that those that don't have access might gain some insight.
Where else can you go and talk about this part of the artform?

I don't know of any other place.

Your welcome.

 

[Smoke]

The last composition is this cascade tree.

I love the tree and the table it is on. Looks like a cliff with a rugged plant hanging on.

With the suiseki accent we have a mountain. The depiction of the mountain is redundent as the table takes the place of the mountain.

Lets say we wish to use it though. Fine.

I would not display it with a scroll. The tree and mountain would suffice. In fact in this display the scroll looks to have a meadow feel to it and is rather distracting for me.

A better feel would have been the tree on the tall stand with just a scroll of an eagle flying in the sky. No mountain and no other refereance. Just eagle and sky...OK maybe a thin wisp of a cloud. Thats it.

 

[Brian Underwood]

Thats why I am here talking about it. To share my experiences, and my succeses and my failures so that those that don't have access might gain some insight.
Where else can you go and talk about this part of the artform?

I don't know of any other place.

Your welcome.

That is one of the reasons I was able to win third place... So thanks

 

[rich415]

Smoke,

Will you consider starting a new thread about the display basics? I, too, have alot of questions and am intrigued by thestorytelling emphasis.

Thanks for all the hard work and input thus far,

Rich

 

[Ang3lfir3]

That is one of the reasons I was able to win third place... So thanks

The recent article by Larry and Kathy in Golden Statements are pretty good too .... I learned a great deal to help understand other concepts I was reading more deeply...

 

[Ang3lfir3]

Most of the scrolls we use in the museum are 7 to 8 feet long.

really??? wow I never imaged them being that long.....is that a measurement of just the scroll and backing?? (you know i don't know the uber special words for them so don't judge me)

 

[Smoke]

This scroll I used in this display is 74 inches long and 21 inches wide. That is the dimension of the whole mounted thing. That would be a man 6'2" tall.