The Art of Bonsai Project

Thorns aside, the story of American Bonsai and the long awaited exhibition is one of rags to riches, of underdogs, of paupers, princes, hand servants, and of a few people daring to dream. In my opinion, it is a Cinderella story, in fact, the First National Exhibition is filled with Cinderella stories, just a few of which I will mention here.
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Of course it was the lure of the great inter-European bonzo show that lured me and my drinking buddy Krunk to endure 16 hours of airline food and trash movies to see what Herr Pall called ZE BEST BONZAI IN ZA ENTIRE VORLD. Not quite so - the show was a bit disappointing. Eight to ten of the trees were a joy to behold.
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He has the ability to then present this blend of information and experience in a intellectual and entertaining manner that is not only highly educational, but inspiring as well. This talent is very apparent in this book, which is a comprehensive guide to Suiseki that covers virtually every aspect of the art.
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This English Language version of Kimura's book is based mostly on "The Magical Technician of Contemporary Bonsai, Part II" and includes some content from his first book, "The Magical Technician of Contemporary Bonsai, Part I." It was his first book that rocketed him to bonsai fame and made him a household name, but not without a price. He was heavily criticized at first for his work, many saying that it was more sculpture than bonsai. This out lash was not surprising considering that in Japan, up until about 30 years ago; bonsai had remained virtually unchanged since its beginnings and Kimura, in an instant, transformed the art forever.
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When I first became involved in bonsai a few years ago I started an unquenchable quest for knowledge and picked up any book I could find on the art of bonsai, regardless of the quality of content. Some of these first books have never been opened since; they collect dust on the library shelf, waiting for perhaps my young daughter to reach the age where she will embark on the same quest and maybe find some useful tidbit of information that I could not. Maybe she will just gain the enthusiasm, the drive, and the sense of wonder I did and like me, want to read every single word ever written on the subject, good or bad.
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In the pantheon of bonsai books there are a few that stand head and shoulders above the rest: John Naka's 2-part series is one; Yuji Yoshimura's first book, from 1957 is another; Deborah Koreshoff's 1984 publication is the third.
This clear, concise, beautifully illustrated manual is unique, in the bonsai publishing field. It gives a thorough understanding of the fundamental differences between Eastern and Western art, particularly from the viewpoint as to how Eastern art has influenced the development of bonsai styles.
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Martin Treasure has won a number of bonsai awards, in his pursuit of bonsai artistry. He displays a remarkable knack for turning rough urban collected and nursery stock into bonsai.
This book 'Bonsai Life Histories' is not only easy to read but gives a brief overview of the design process of each of more than fifty bonsai trees, from urban collected stock or nursery stock which he has transformed into bonsai. Although, there are no 'masterpiece' bonsai to be seen in this book, there are many on their way to being one.
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The art of bonsai pottery has always seemed to exist in the background of the bonsai community. Pot selection was a mystery to beginners, who often potted in whatever was available and affordable, with little thought at all given to aesthetics. It seems the master potters of the art were selling the majority of their pots to the master bonsai artists. Meanwhile the cheaper, mass produced imports common with the mallsai sellers, and the low end retailers, were also purchased by the beginner, who had not yet learned the value of well made and well designed bonsai pottery matched to the plant.
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When I first received this book and settled back to read it, I felt some slight regret that I had ordered it. A compilation of articles from previous issues of Bonsai Today did not seem very exciting to me, as I already have every back issue available and I use them often for reference or inspiration.
However, my reservations quickly disappeared when I realized that the book had been edited to include information not in the original articles. This work is aimed at the intermediate to advanced bonsaist, though it is easily absorbed, owing to the clarity of expression to be found in these pages.
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Brayton Wilson Ph. D. is a Professor of Forestry at the University of California, Berkeley. His book, reviewed here, is often quoted in publications and is required reading for forestry students around the world.
With this work the author shows he is a highly competent authority on plant physiology with his precise, technical coverage. The information delivered is highly accurate and comprehensive, yet easy to read and understand. The book flows smoothly through such subjects as forking in woody roots, apical control of bud development, and movement of pine candles.
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My first thought upon receiving this book was that there was no way the content could compare with the fantastic presentation portrayed by the hand bound cover, the inlaid silver leaf, and the overall artistic feel of the edition. To my delight, I was wrong.
This book comes across as art, it feels like art, you'll feel protective of the cover and you'll be reluctant to set it on anything that may harm the surface. Once you open the pages you'll see that Robert Steven has done a remarkable job, creating a work that will long be remembered as a classic, for bonsai enthusiasts.
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I have known Andy, on nodding terms, for nearly fifteen years. He is well known for his collecting and selling of collected wild Ponderosa Pines (Pinus ponderosa) and Rocky Mountain Junipers (Juniperus scopulorum). Andy supplied the materials for the MABA 2000 convention, Kimura workshop, as well as Mr. Kimura's demonstration tree. All were Rocky Mountain Junipers.
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