AMERICAN AWARD SELECTION
Sorry for the delay in answering "The" question, but I've been busy with the International Stone Appreciation Symposium which concluded yesterday and now I'm quite busy with the final details for the First National Bonsai Exhibition which will begin in a few short days.
I had a difficult time selecting a bonsai for the First National Bonsai Exhibition from this contest.
There were so many fine bonsai I wanted to choose from, but they were already submitted and selected for the First National Bonsai Exhibition. Then some of the other bonsai belonged to artists who already had several trees in the exhibition and I want a wide selection of bonsai according to beauty, size, species, styles and owners from different sections of the United States. Bonsai from across the country have been selected and all areas will be well represented.
I am the only one who knows the 325 plus bonsai which have been submitted and the 160 plus bonsai which were accepted for the First National Bonsai Exhibition.
I really think, according to my 45 year study of classical bonsai, that the Japanese black pine in the literati style displayed by Mike Page has great elegance and shows sensitive taste. There are no scars on the long trunk with slight curves and it shows a maturing bark pattern. Many, many bonsai in the United States are massive and include a tremendous amount of dead wood to make an immediate impact to impress the public.
The Japanese black pine appears to me to have been created by an artist who simply loves bonsai and wanted to share his artistry through this public contest.
There are a great deal of massive bonsai with dead wood already in the First National Bonsai Exhibition and the literati Japanese black entered will present a breath of fresh air. Even though the branches need some more refinement and the surface roots still need development, the overall aesthetic impact was great, to me at least, and I am the person responsible for the award's selection.
I hope this helps to explain why the Japanese black pine was selected for displaying in the First National Bonsai Exhibition. Everyone is welcome to visit this historic event to see some of the finest bonsai in the United States.
Bill
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