Articles - Display
Shohin Bonsai Display - The basics
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For me, display is the “art” element of bonsai and more so with shohin bonsai.
There are three joys involved in growing shohin bonsai -The nurturing and cultivation, the styling and design and the construction and appreciation of shohin bonsai displays. Whilst many are content solely with the cultivation and styling aspects of shohin, there is a great satisfaction gained when bonsai are displayed and appreciated by the owner and viewer alike. Shohin displays differ from larger bonsai displays in the fact that there is generally a great deal more trees and other elements to use and therefore the creative possibilities are huge. One the downside however it can sometimes be overwhelming. There are no rules as such, but there are plenty of guidelines that help to make a display balanced, varied and harmonious. Simply putting a bonsai on a stand does not make a bonsai display. 2 & 3 Element displays – keep it simple! I personally love the simplicity and elegance of the 3 element shohin display over a larger display and would always recommend it as a starting point for people displaying their shohin. That does not mean that it is simplistic in any way however, the fewer elements make the display purer and easier to understand for the viewer. Obviously requiring fewer trees and stands can be an advantage too. The attraction is in the topography of this style of display. It emulates the natural landscape of mountains, waterfalls, hillsides, valleys and plains. Even human elements such as figures and houses can be included. With the larger 5-7 element displays, it is far more difficult to create a harmonious composition as there are 7 times the colours of pots, shape of pots, makers of pots, stands, species, directions, sizes etc to consider and organise in to a harmonious composition. These displays also require a great number of trees to choose from. Preparation Even the simplest tree can be allowed to shine if care is taken in its preparation. They should be clean, trimmed and in good health and preferably at the optimum time of year for the specific season. This might appear obvious to do for most but this but one often sees poorly prepared trees at exhibition. Having an attitude that allows for compromise will result in a flawed composition and this in turn shows a lack of consideration to the viewer. The soil surface should be fully covered in moss. Bare soil looks untidy and fresh soil such as akadama looks artificial. Because bonsai are considered “dirty” as they grow in soil and grow outside, no tree should be display without a stand. For harmony, the quality of the trees used should be of a similar standing, use different sizes or volume of trees but try to keep the standard of tree the same. Space The traditional space for a display in an exhibition is the size of a tatami mat. Hence shohin bonsai are displayed in groups or compositions to use the space effectively. Do not be afraid of space or leaving areas of the display open. The most common mistake made is trying to fill every stand, shelf or area with an object. Just because you own an item, scroll, accent or whatever it does not mean that you have to use it. Use the minimum of trees and objects to create the entire landscape. Try to avoid being overly representative. Allow the viewer to use their imagination to create their own narrative of the display. Being too literal will make the display appear childish. Seasonality A good display should hint towards the season. Again avoid being too literal. Make the viewer do a little work. One should look towards the season ahead and not a season that has passed. This seasonality could be in the main trees, accent plant, scroll or object. Avoid repetition The will be an amount of compromise until ones collection of trees, stands, pots etc becomes large enough to allow a wide choice when preparing a display. As a guide however avoid using the same species, same pots or potters and same style of stand more than once. In conclusion Remember that simplicity is the key. Avoid being overly literal or obvious. Leave spaces that the viewer can fill in using their imagination. And , the most important thing, enjoy your displays. |
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1 The drama of a high mountain tree. The scroll is purposely placed central in the display with the tree overlapping it. The Juniper does not show tell us of the time of year however the scroll does. The tree on which the bird sits in the scroll is showing swelling buds. It’s springtime. The small accent plant shows the ground over which the juniper hangs. Although every element is high quality and well prepared, the display seems unbalanced and dominating the right hand side. The display needs a larger element on the left to help counterbalance the powerful movement of the Juniper. 1a The accent has been replaced with a Japanese quince. The scroll image too has been replaced with a bird in flight. The direction of the bird leads us away from the Juniper to the receiving tree, the quince whose direction points back to the Juniper and balances the arrangement. If the quince was in flower it would add more seasonality to the display. 1b The quince has been replaced now by a rose. The receiving tree is larger than the previous display so I have moved it further back to give more importance to the juniper. The boards on which the rose sits also point back to the main tree again bringing harmony to the display. Tip - The tall stand on which the Juniper sits has been turned on an angle. This increases the size of the stand to the viewer, making it appear larger and less precarious. In each of these displays, nothing is repeated. The stands vary in style. 2 Even though this pine is not as dramatic as say a cascade tree, it is placed on a high stand to increase its dominance. The height helps to link with the scroll and be higher than the accent object which in this case is a small dwelling. The scroll is a cold colour featured a faint moon. The narrative is simple. A house shelters in the cold winter, in the valley beneath the mountain of pines. 3 A Juniper and trident maple make a simple but attractive display. 3a Here you can see clearly that none of the objects sit on the same line. The line between each forms an isosceles triangle. 3b The receiving tree can also be placed to the rear. The placement either emphasises or understates depending on position. This is useful to do if the receiving tree is a little large and is moved to the rear to make it appear a little smaller. 4 A scroll features a waterfall and completes the picture and helps us understand the landscape where the Juniper is growing, with the maple living in the low lands. Tip - The tiny accent makes the bonsai appear larger. A bigger accent would have the opposite effect, diminishing the impact of the tree. Remember the accent plant represents the ground covering in our portrayed landscape. 5 These two trees, a cascade white pine and a Viburnum both sit upon a home made stands. 6 The Viburnum when placed on a higher stand begins to diminish the impact of the pine. The lower stand was more suitable. 7 This time the pine is displayed with and Eleagnus as its companion tree. The display is well balance but lacks a seasonal element. 8 This time a Kurama pool stone is used in the place of a companion tree. The form of the stone reflects the flow of the pine to create a balanced display. The use of the pool stone in summer would create a cooling feel. 9 The introduction of a scroll featuring a dragonfly reinforces the feel that it is indeed summer and the dragonfly ties in nicely with the pool creating an effective narrative for the display. 10 A cascading Caragana is presented with a hosta as an accent plant. The hosta is just bursting forth to show that it is spring. 11 A tempai figure of a kingfisher replaces the accent plant. The display now alludes to the summer months as the bird is more likely to be seen then. |
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