Firstly, my sincere congratulations to Mr. Mike for his much deserved awards in the contest at this forum site, and at the National exhibition...I have long been an admirer of his work as a true 'artist' in the field of bonsai, rather than just a good 'craftsman', which he also is...In my opinion, as long as we insist on rules, guidelines, and criteria, by which to appreciate the art of bonsai, it shall always remain a craft rather than an art...Mr. Mike, and a few others have been bold enough to step outside 'tradition' and create genuine works of 'art' for us to enjoy, however, one can only truly enjoy and appreciate these works as 'art' if they are able to remove themselves mentally from the restraints placed by the craftsmanship of bonsai...
Great art is not great as a result of how closely it follows certain restrictions, or how closely it resembles the work or teachings of previous practioners...Truly great art is such because of the emotion it evokes in the viewer, not a result of adherence to 'standards'...Phrases such as "makes the viewer hear the wind blowing through the branches", "has inner beauty rather than external", and "more than what can be seen in front of one’s eyes", are precisely the type of characteristics which distinguish 'artistry' from 'craftsmanship'...
Thanks to Mr. Peter for sharing thoughts on the judging process for this award, and to all for this discussion...I am truly enjoying this...
Regards Behr
XXX
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