The Art of Bonsai Project

Again we are facing vague ideas trying to evoke feelings. Far be it from me to disagree with Mr. Naka, but the statement you quote is as vague as anything we have discussed so far. It assumes that there is some sort of standard for a form we are having difficulty assigning standards to that go beyond feelings. I am not saying that this is wrong, it is just not enough. It leaves us in the same place we were in before we started this discussion.

Maybe we should start by putting forth some ideas that we have concerning the physical aspect of the Literati style only, and leave the (more important) concepts of the metaphysical to the side for now. Perhaps if we can agree as to form we can eventually come to some sort of agreement as to function.

I think we are at a point in this discussion where the idea of winning an argument/discussion has to be abandoned for the sake of evidential truth.

I see your point with this tree and I agree it can be three styles at the same time but If I had to put it into a single category it would be Literati. The question is why? In my mind the things that make it Literati far out-weigh the things that make it anything else.

Vance, you are absolutely correct when you say that a broom style tree cannot be classified as a literati, you have humbled me.
Thanks to Bill who is obviously a good word mechanic for showing that the trunk is of utmost importance to help create a feeling of a literati bonsai, from upright to full cascade.
I also agree with Vance that conifers are the ideal material to create literati bonsai. In my part of the world we use very little conifers for bonsai. I have come accross a few decidious and flowering literati.

:-)

Morten

I se above tree as a broom style with a few branches, not literati.

After a few days of research, I have come to the conclusion that the terms masculinity and femininity, though used often in the context of art, are not really understood at all in that context. Many say that to be feminine, an object must have traits commonly associated with women, but fail to list such traits. Being highly subjective, they are of little use at all in defining literati for us.

The absense of other defining factors to date for Literati leaves us with

Minimalism
Empasis on the trunk


as we have intelligently eliminated femininity as a qualification.



Will