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IT DOESN'T REALLY matter whether
our individual fascination with bonsai began via gardening, art
or a general interest in things oriental, we all have much to
learn. Those who were introduced to bonsai through gardening
will have the knowledge and confidence that will give them a
head start in the horticultural processes involved. Those who
came to bonsai from an artistic background will already have
a grasp of the aesthetic principles of line, form, balance, etc.
Those who's bonsai activities began with a general interest in
Japanese art and culture are likely to be able to understand
the philosophical requirements of this demanding discipline.
However, the latter are in the
greatest danger of making a fundamental mistake: that of trying
to copy the Japanese rather than learning from them. The difference
may be subtle, but it is very significant. The Japanese have
built up their wealth of knowledge over centuries, so we rightly
turn to them for practical horticultural and artistic guidance.
In this way we have the advantage of being able to become reasonably
proficient in a relatively short time. But it is important not
to lose sight of our own cultural background when designing our
bonsai.
A major turning point in my bonsai
thinking was when I heard John Yoshio Naka say: 'Don't try to
make your tree look like a bonsai - try to make your bonsai look
like a tree'. At first this seems like an obvious piece of advice.
But how often do you hear novices talk about 'Japanese shapes'
or display their trees amidst an eclectic clutter of oriental
paraphernalia? Whether your personal preference is for lifelike
representations of lowland specimens, rugged mountain trees,
or almost abstract living sculptures, in the final analysis,
we are all trying to reach a similar goal - that of creating
an aesthetically pleasing, more or less tree-like image. But
what qualifies as 'tree-like' to the individual depends very
much on his or her cultural and environmental background.
Although Japanese and western
cultures are, literally, a world apart, there are a number of
comparisons that can be made, particularly in the way trees have
been depicted by artists in two-dimensional form. This must inevitably
have a profound impact on our mental images of the 'fantasy'
trees we are trying to create - in both cultures.
In Japan there were no great
master landscape painters such as Constable or Vermeer, in fact
one-off paintings of any kind were rare. The majority of Japanese
pictures were narrative - illustrating a story or legend, often
reproduced in large numbers from woodcuts. (The lack of perspective
and tonal depth in Japanese woodcuts could, in part, explain
why a bonsai has a 'front', and is not a truly three-dimensional
work of art.) To find a historical western equivalent we must
look at artists such as Gustave Doré and Thomas Bewick,
whose illustrations were also reproduced in print form, but from
wood engravings, cut into the end grain of the wood. The far
more intricate line work that could be introduced in wood engravings
meant that their images of trees contained far more depth and
texture, although only in black and white.
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The
print an the left
c1825) is typically Japanese, yet its artist depicted the maple
foliage the the right of the picture in precisely the same way
that Bewick handled the oak foliage on the overhanging branch
in the wood engraving on the right. |
A major influence on the Japanese woodcut artists' depiction
of trees was the fact that art and calligraphy were inextricably
linked. Woodcut artists were influenced by the fluid, single
brush-stroke trunk lines and vague hints of foliage. A few bold
lines and simple areas of colour can tell us all there is to
know. This simplified approach to art was reinforced by the minimalist
teachings of Zen Buddhism which pervades all aspects of Japanese
culture. It is easy to see how this has influenced the Japanese
approach to bonsai.
On the other hand, the wood engravers
in the west were influenced by the landscape painters' quest
for realism and detail and, indeed, the public demanded it. Since
the use of colour was uneconomic and impractical, they developed
techniques using light, shade and intricate detail to achieve
this end. As a result their illustrations were heavy, sombre
and rather intense.
If we move forward to this century,
we can find a more direct comparison between western and Japanese
depictions of trees. The same use of simple line, flat areas
of colour and distillation of form of the Japanese print became
necessary in the west with the development of cartoon animation.
To be visually (and economically) successful in cartoon form,
images of trees have to be simplified; carefully analysed and
broken down to their basic elements. Only the bare essentials
are retained, just enough to describe the tree. These elements
are presented in a way that also evokes the character and spirit
of the tree and sets the mood of the scene. Isn't this exactly
what we try to do with our bonsai design, albeit in three dimensions
and with a more complex medium?
If you look carefully at the
way trees of both familiar and unfamiliar species are drawn in
Walt Disney films such as Jungle Book, you will see some startling
comparisons with Japanese woodcut prints. In fact the early animators
learned much from studying the Japanese artists' techniques,
but did not copy their style because their culture, subject matter
and audience were entirely different.
Once we recognise the common
aims, problems and solutions between the Japanese two-dimensional
artist and the Japanese bonsai artist, it easy to acknowledge
a parallel relationship between the western bonsai artist and
the cartoon animator. And since we are westerners, whose vision
of trees is influenced by western environmental and cultural
factors, it could be argued that we have as much to learn about
simplified images of trees from Walt Disney's animators as from
the Japanese artists.
The point of this culture-shock
treatment is to bring bonsai another step west. There are many
taboos and superstitions in Japanese bonsai, all rooted throughout
society. If bonsai is anything like an art form, then it must,
to some extent, be self-expressive. What we want to express about
trees and our emotional response towards them must, surely, be
rooted in our culture.
I am not suggesting that we all
turn to Donald Duck for inspiration, but if you want some guidance
on how to produce credible, emotive, highly simplified images
of trees, you may find it more useful to refer to some of the
better animated cartoons than spend precious time and effort
trying to negotiate your way around the distractions of the cultural,
philosophical and artistic differences that exist between us
and the Japanese. If we try to copy the Japanese I and attempt
to produce 'Japanese shapes' or 'Japanese-looking' bonsai we
will more than likely be frustrated.
Our trees... our heritage
There is much talk about developing
a western style, or even a British style of bonsai. In order
to begin any such task we must recognise that our natural environment
is an enormous influence on whom we are, and why we are so obsessed
with creating bonsai. Surely, before we can begin to develop
our own styles we must filter out all those bonsai teachings
that are uniquely cultural, or even philosophical, and replace
them with our own. Inevitably we will continue to be heavily
influenced by Japanese bonsai artists, but we must learn that
it is not a sin to reject that influence from time to time, and
to do our own thing.
Consider some of-the common sights
in the countryside here in the UK. 'Stag-headed' oaks, for example,
with their dead branches protruding through the canopy, or willows
with hollow trunks from root to crown. Further afield, ancient
olives in southern Europe are similar in 'style'. Jins and sharis
are taboo on broadleaved bonsai in Japan, but here they happen
in real life so why not in bonsai? However, they have to be the
right kind of jins and sharis. The shapes, texture and colour
of traditional jins all work with conifers. The same treatment
would not necessarily suit natural broadleaved styles.
Scots pine - I've seen 'em from
Moscow to Madrid. It's the same tree but the character changes
as drastically as the climate. The now classical semi-literati
style of scots pine, mastered by Peter Adams, is specific to
this part of Europe. I was given a pine by a Russian bonsai lover
who had collected it from the Caucasus mountains in the Crimea.
He had never even seen pictures of japanese bonsai so he had
begun to train the tree in the natural style of that area - low,
spreading. He also gave me some pictures to help me carry on.
While on the subject of pines, what about the 'umbrella' pine
along the Mediterranean coast? Now there's a style waiting to
be developed ,analysed and perfected!
The ariel-rooting figs of the
tropics have natural habits not found in any Japanese species
nor, therefore, in Japanese bonsai. Yet there are many highly
regarded examples produced by fine bonsai artists. These images
are deeply rooted in their psyche, but do they mean as much to
us, or are they merely 'interesting'? Since the natural growth
habit that these bonsai echo is entirely alien to us, I suggest
the latter is true, but none the less valid for that.
Now you may be content with having
an interesting bonsai, but I suspect that if you are still reading
this you are more ambitious than that. If you are anything like
me, there is something about trees which touches your soul. It
stems from somewhere in the subconscious - childhood memories
of sights, sounds and smells. Every time you work on a tree this
is reflected in your work until, eventually it reaches out and
touches the soul of others.
We should learn the techniques
which help the Japanese achieve the results they do with their
bonsai, and apply this knowledge to creating trees which suit
our own cultural tastes and reflect our own environment and our
emotions towards it. We will then be free to interpret the natural
shape, growth habit and, above all, spirit of native species
in bonsai form, and to do so in a way that is readily accessible
to a western audience.
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