Why should a tree bow to the viewer?

[MMJNICE]

I see professional photography of trees taken from the middle point of the tree, not above facing down. Perhaps I wasn't clear that you should be working your tree from that angle. If you're working from above, you might be making mistakes for the overall image from the middle point of the tree. I personally don't like trees that either lean too much forward or too much backwards. A little nuance goes a long way here and really depends on the size of the tree how much you need to angle to present the image of forwards lean.

There are lots of shows that need to raise the level of the tables, it was a point of discussion at the winter silhouette show that the tables are much too low, as most exhibitors build the trees and displays to be seen at eye level.

Honestly I wouldn't use the Columbus show as a benchmark for excellence or how to present your trees. Just saying....

Hahaha I knew you would chime in about Columbus ,,I knew it!

 

[coh]

Honestly, I don't buy the we evolved from arboreals theory, sorry.

I just think that simply, the tree looks more aesthetically pleasing if its leaning toward the viewer.
Its not complicated, it just looks better. Kinda like someone facing you with open arms seems more welcoming and attractive than someone with their back to you.

So which is it? We've heard that the effect of leaning the apex forward makes a tree look bigger (but no one can seem to prove it other than claiming "foreshortening!"), and we've heard that it's "more aesthetically pleasing" and "it just looks better". None of these are strong or convincing arguments. Basically, answering "why does forward lean make a tree look better?" with "It just looks better"

I’ve seen some pretty good trees in pretty decent detail. I volunteer at the museum. The trees there, particularly the Japanese trees, mostly have some sort of forward lean. Even the smaller ones.

In working on those I have found the ones that use this technique to be a bit more engaging and balanced to the viewer. I believe the forward bow brings the viewer into the tree and helps balance out the image.

Might be personal taste. I hardly revere traditional bonsai. The majority of my trees are anything but, but I do try to use techniques that work. This one mostly does

I've been to all but one of the National Exhibitions and also visited the National Arboretum when we lived near DC, so I've seen my share of good trees as well. I would argue that those really good trees (whether Japanese or not) have many qualities that make them special. The forward lean, while present in many, may not be an important factor but if it's present in the majority of those trees then how does one really compare and evaluate or isolate that impact?

I mean, I'm not saying that it doesn't work or contribute to the image, I'm just saying that the explanations are far from convincing.

 

[coh]

Why does someone facing toward you with open arms look better? Because it's a welcoming gesture.

Some people look better facing away though!

 

[Gabler]

Basically, answering "why does forward lean make a tree look better?" with "It just looks better"

This ^^^

 

[Gabler]

Some people look better facing away though!

 

[Paradox]

So which is it? We've heard that the effect of leaning the apex forward makes a tree look bigger (but no one can seem to prove it other than claiming "foreshortening!"), and we've heard that it's "more aesthetically pleasing" and "it just looks better". None of these are strong or convincing arguments. Basically, answering "why does forward lean make a tree look better?" with "It just looks better"



I've been to all but one of the National Exhibitions and also visited the National Arboretum when we lived near DC, so I've seen my share of good trees as well. I would argue that those really good trees (whether Japanese or not) have many qualities that make them special. The forward lean, while present in many, may not be an important factor but if it's present in the majority of those trees then how does one really compare and evaluate or isolate that impact?

I mean, I'm not saying that it doesn't work or contribute to the image, I'm just saying that the explanations are far from convincing.

I dont know and to be honest when I typed that post, I had just spent all day with something in my eye that I had to get an emergency appointment at an eye doctor to get it out of there cause it was driving me nuts and very stressful. I was irritated, exhausted and trying to be philosophical about why a tree looks better leaning toward the viewer was beyond my capacity at the time. However I can confirm I still dont know why and Im not entirely sure I care much why it is. Either way Ill choose what think is the most pleasing side of my trees. Not that Im not open to discussion of which side. I just don't have the patience to deep dive into this at this point in my life. Bigger things to think about right now.

 

[JesseKane]

I wonder if a possible reason has to do with human body language. Being friendly and open is typically associated with leaning forward and into a conversation, while leaning away is typically associated with defensiveness and potentially even disgust and fear. As humans, we subconsciously anthropomorphize EVERYTHING, and I can easily see us applying human traits to our trees with their apex being seen as their head.

That makes more sense to me than trying to apply very rigorous geometric or art theory explanations.

 

[Gabler]

I wonder if a possible reason has to do with human body language. Being friendly and open is typically associated with leaning forward and into a conversation, while leaning away is typically associated with defensiveness and potentially even disgust and fear. As humans, we subconsciously anthropomorphize EVERYTHING, and I can easily see us applying human traits to our trees with their apex being seen as their head.

That makes more sense to me than trying to apply very rigorous geometric or art theory explanations.

I'm told the Japanese word for a tree's apex literally means head.

 

[ABCarve]

I wonder if it has to do with hiding chop scars. Each time the crown/apex outgrows the base it’s chopped to regrow. Choosing the chop that puts the scar in the back to hide the scar would tilt the tree forward or to the side.

 

[Nybonsai12]

My trees bow forward to me out of respect. Because they know I can cut their arms off at anytime.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

The last few million years have seen dramatic changes in our own evolution, and that's only a relatively tiny part of our past!

Imagine the billions of years before that, they all lead to this point!
I've had this discussion quite a lot, people sometimes call a cellular (the cell, not the cellphone) function rudimentary or primal, but it's actually quite amazing that it kept evolving like everything else AND kept its function.
Horseshoe crabs for instance, are often considered to be living fossils, while they've evolved for just as long as everything else did and still does.
We tend to trick ourselves into thinking the recent past was the greatest, or most dramatic driver for evolution, but there hasn't been a time where that exact current time was not the greatest driver for evolution. I think this is because we like the things we see today and it makes us feel special to think that this all happened for us to enjoy. It did! But everything else enjoyed it before humans too!
Things go extinct, things spring into existence, but evolution never stops. Not even for the things that look the same as they did millions of years ago.

As for the trees bowing, it's smoke and mirrors. I'm happy with "it looks better that way". And if a tree leans back and still looks good, I'm happy with that too.
I wonder if trimming the weeds around the base also makes it look bigger.

 

[Wulfskaar]

I wonder if trimming the weeds around the base also makes it look bigger.

A friend of mine "saved himself" until marriage. This was the exact advice I gave him before his wedding.

But yeah, evolution is amazing. Just visiting the Natural History Museum in L.A. blows the mind, and they only showcase a tiny sliver of life that has ever lived. The world is truly a magical place.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

A friend of mine "saved himself" until marriage. This was the exact advice I gave him before his wedding.

Next time, do it a month or two before. That itchy rashy stage during a honeymoon isn't something I'd want to wish upon friends.

 

[namnhi]

Why do bonsai lean towards the viewer?
(1) From a perspective standpoint, it creates an optical illusion of scale/height.
(2) From a design standpoint, it opens up the structure so you can see the tree and the lines. If you lean the tree away from the viewer, much of your design becomes hidden, such that you feel like you need to rotate the tree to see it.

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Is the tree in the photo leans forward toward the viewer or backward? Interesting photo though.