Page 17 - 2019 01 BSF Magazine_v3

temperate trees the other artists in this article style. These species and their climate
along with Rob’s unusual mix of left and right brain have enabled him to approach
bonsai with a slightly different point of view. Rob adds: “Many countries across the
world have adopted the Japanese word “bonsai” to define artistic dwarfed trees in
pots. While the Japanese word popularized the art, bonsai has transcended beyond
Japan to a global phenomenon, so do we really need to have the term American
Bonsai? Can you capture the ethos of a nation in its art? Sure. Happens in every art
form, but the operative word is art, and not the adjective. And so I would posit that
the artistic goal is what is important and not so much the nationality. If the goal aims
to capture the free spirit of the Nebraskan plains, the dankness of the Olympic rain
forest, the antiquity of the Adirondacks, the tropical colors of Miami, or the
abstractness of the American melting pot, the emotional content conveyed defines
the art. If the art successfully conjures the emotion, and the feeling reminds one of
America, then it is a success.
When I style a tree, I set a design goal and then shape the tree to convey the telos.
For example, I designed a tree planting as an eidetic of the novel “A Tree grows in
Brooklyn.” But my goals aren’t always based on America. I’ve styled a fig tree to
channel the Kraken, using the sea monster from Norse folklore for inspiration,
another for a post apocalyptic Chinese wax factory, and others to reflect science
fiction ideas and characters. To get around the connotation of bonsai or American
bonsai, I have started to refer to what I do as tree art and not worry about
categorization. So, if you want to have American Bonsai, then use an American ideal
as your inspiration to style the tree.”

Yuji Yoshimura as remembered by Arthur Joura
and the author, Saimir Ogranaja
I have attended a number or two, shy of a
decade of classes from Arthur Joura. In one
of these classes he brought in a handheld
(albeit with several hands) miniaturized
forest, planted on a large sheet of plywood.
He told the story of how the planting came
to be “In January of 1995 I was able
to spend a brief period studying with Yuji
Yoshimura at his home in Briarcliff Manor,
NY, a highly memorable experience I regard
as the most influential of my bonsai career.
On that trip I had taken with me 25
American Hornbeam, Carpinus caroliniana,
trees in plastic nursery pots, 3 years from
seed and completely untrained for bonsai
use. On the final day of my stay Mr.
Yoshimura used 17 of these trees to make a
landscape planting. Along with the
hornbeams, I had brought with me 2
different stoneware trays, quality Tokoname
containers, one of which I anticipated would

17
Michael Hagedorn's collection a Mountain Hemlock clump,
Tsuga mertensiana. Photo by Joe Noga.