Tree with no front

[Will.power49]

whats the take on viewing trees from all sides? So a tree with no front or a pot with no front?

Why ask? When I walk the forest and Really look at trees I walk all around them. So why should a tree be viewed from just on angle only? Maybe for certain trees or groupings. But does this have to hold true for all?

Just thinking about this after watching another fellow mention it. And after repotting a few of my own.

Is there pots for this???

 

[james]

Round pots?

 

[0soyoung]

The deal is that a good bonsai is trying to represent what you see in the forest in a space of less than 2 feet. So, the visual depth has to be faked by making branches in front and lower thicker than others. Branches in the back and higher on the tree being thinner then give visual depth. Well done bonsai tend to look pretty good from all angles, but they are sweetest from the front because of this. IMHO, of course.

On the other hand, if you're aiming for your tree to be viewed from 20 feet, it doesn't matter.

 

[Cadillactaste]

I believe William Valavanis has a few with good views front and back. The thing is...the front leans toward a viewer. I've a couple trees that look good from all sides. But the front is by far the best view.

 

[Cadillactaste]

Forgot to add...many find later down the road...the back makes a better front. Food for thought...that the tree is a good tree all around.

 

[Will.power49]

The deal is that a good bonsai is trying to represent what you see in the forest in a space of less than 2 feet. So, the visual depth has to be faked by making branches in front and lower thicker than others. Branches in the back and higher on the tree being thinner then give visual depth. Well done bonsai tend to look pretty good from all angles, but they are sweetest from the front because of this. IMHO, of course.

On the other hand, if you're aiming for your tree to be viewed from 20 feet, it doesn't matter.

Front being the best Viewing angel. Then Yes everything has a best viewed side. But what is the thought on over all display and viewing. Say when at a garden and a Specimen tree is placed a single stand. Wouldn't this be best viewing. As to take the tree in on a full 3D?

 

[ShadyStump]

Does a sculpture have a front and a back?
Depends on how the sculptor intends it to be viewed.

Remember that bonsai is where horticulture and sculpting intersect. We remove wood just like someone turning blocks of timber on a lathe. Only we also have the potential to add wood to our art as we work.

So, no, it's not required to state a front or back, but who wants to go look at Michelangelo's David's butt? At the same time, there are plenty of other sculptures out there that are meant to be viewed from every side.

 

[Gabler]

Isn't the "front" just the tree's best angle? I'm sure the wild trees in your local forests all have a front.

 

[Shibui]

Any irregular shape will have one or more spots that look better than others. As already mentioned, good bonsai will look good from as many sides as possible but if the designer has done the job well it will look even better from one specific angle. That's the side we like to refer to as 'front'.
A specimen tree placed at a focal point and able to be viewed from all sides will still have a front which will usually be positioned toward the best viewing spot. Maybe the entrance to the garden or room so it makes an even bigger impression as people enter. Maybe toward a seat where people are likely to sit and look at it.
Sculptures are similarly orientated to make the best impression on viewers on entry or from a viewing spot. Sometimes the sculpture is intended to stop a viewer as they walk past. Again it will be positioned and orientated accordingly so viewers stop and look from a particular place.
A good tree can be appreciated from all sides but will still look best and convey the feelings the artist intended best from the chosen 'front'.

Sometimes a very slight change of viewing angle can make a profound difference to the impression. Subtle differences in angles of branches or trunk and the spaces between as seen from a different angle can change the overall impression. Even if the viewer does not actually notice these factors there will be some subconscious changes to the viewing experience.

 

[penumbra]

who wants to go look at Michelangelo's David's butt

A number of ladies and probably others.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Sculpture is a better analogy to bonsai than a painting. As bonsai is 3 dimensional. Unlike sculpture, or actually similar to some specific sculptures, in bonsai various tricks of perspective are used to create the emotional, or visual impression of a large tree from nature. These tricks of perspective often require the viewer to be in a particular location relative to the bonsai. If you don't use tricks to force a sense of perspective, you don't need to have the viewer in a particular location relative to the tree. One can also build these tricks to force perspective into more than one side of the the tree.

There are quite a few bonsai that have more than one "front". Some really are viewed from all sides. Some really have a distinct "front". It varies widely.

Young trees in training - it is a useful exercise to "pick a front", but don't get too attached to it. Stay flexible in your thinking. There are many "design rules" that are guidelines, rather than hard and fast rules. The guide is that in general the tree as it rises to the apex "bows" toward the viewer. This is a trick to force perspective. Deciduous trees, especially formal brooms and informal brooms have branches reaching up and arching out on all sides of the tree, meaning that any ( or rather several sides) side of the tree will have the effect of forcing perspective. These trees can have many "fronts" or can be viewed "in the round".

Single trunk tree styles, particularly the triangular "idealized conifer" styles very often require the viewer to be only "in front" of the tree.

With a young tree a useful exercise is to pick a front based on a particular trait. Mark it on the outside of the pot, then pick a different front based on a different trait. Some of the traits you can (or should use are below) When done with the exercise you will have 5 or more marks around the pot, but likely a few will be grouped more or less together. The region with the most marks is probably your "best front"

-Nebari - the spread of the roots
-Width of the trunk a couple inches above the soil line
-where the line traced by the trunk is the most attractive
-jin or shari or deadwood feature is most attractive
-branch structure & placement is most attractive
-other special feature of the tree is most attractive

If any one feature is particularly attractive, it can drive your choice of a front. If no one side of the tree has multiple attractive features, you either have a boring tree, or one that is very well suited to being viewed from all sides.

For young trees, I prefer round training pots in order to be easily able to view the tree from all sides.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Even for older trees, and especially flowering trees that have few flowers at a time, but bloom all over the tree over a period of time, round pots are essential to showcase the flowers. For example roses, especially miniature roses, gardenia, many azaleas, especially the Encore type azalea, where blooming is scattered and occurs over a long period of time. Round pots make it easier to showcase the sporadic flowers.

 

[Will.power49]

Sculpture is a better analogy to bonsai than a painting. As bonsai is 3 dimensional. Unlike sculpture, or actually similar to some specific sculptures, in bonsai various tricks of perspective are used to create the emotional, or visual impression of a large tree from nature. These tricks of perspective often require the viewer to be in a particular location relative to the bonsai. If you don't use tricks to force a sense of perspective, you don't need to have the viewer in a particular location relative to the tree. One can also build these tricks to force perspective into more than one side of the the tree.

There are quite a few bonsai that have more than one "front". Some really are viewed from all sides. Some really have a distinct "front". It varies widely.

Young trees in training - it is a useful exercise to "pick a front", but don't get too attached to it. Stay flexible in your thinking. There are many "design rules" that are guidelines, rather than hard and fast rules. The guide is that in general the tree as it rises to the apex "bows" toward the viewer. This is a trick to force perspective. Deciduous trees, especially formal brooms and informal brooms have branches reaching up and arching out on all sides of the tree, meaning that any ( or rather several sides) side of the tree will have the effect of forcing perspective. These trees can have many "fronts" or can be viewed "in the round".

Single trunk tree styles, particularly the triangular "idealized conifer" styles very often require the viewer to be only "in front" of the tree.

With a young tree a useful exercise is to pick a front based on a particular trait. Mark it on the outside of the pot, then pick a different front based on a different trait. Some of the traits you can (or should use are below) When done with the exercise you will have 5 or more marks around the pot, but likely a few will be grouped more or less together. The region with the most marks is probably your "best front"

-Nebari - the spread of the roots
-Width of the trunk a couple inches above the soil line
-where the line traced by the trunk is the most attractive
-jin or shari or deadwood feature is most attractive
-branch structure & placement is most attractive
-other special feature of the tree is most attractive

If any one feature is particularly attractive, it can drive your choice of a front. If no one side of the tree has multiple attractive features, you either have a boring tree, or one that is very well suited to being viewed from all sides.

For young trees, I prefer round training pots in order to be easily able to view the tree from all sides.

Thank you for your well thought out and well worded explanations.