Saturday, October 3, 2009

another RMJ shohin

Rockay Mountain Juniper, Juniperus scopulorum, 20 cm hihg, shohin, collected in 2006

first image 2006
the others as of yesterday

This styling is a statement. The juniper is styled to look like a broadleaved tree, e.g. like an oak or apple tree. is this allowed? Well, according to the bonsai fundamentalists clearly not.
Why? because it is 'unnatural' . OK, how are junipers styled in practically all cases? To remsemble a good looking pine tree. Is this natural? Clearly not. How are azaleas styled in practically all cases? To look like an ideal pine tree with lots of gaudy flowers. Is this nature? By no means, it is kitsch. But we are so used to this that we take it for granted. And then this little innocent juniper does not know about this all and is styled to look like a nice oak. So what? Why should this not be allowed if all the other nonsense is standard practice? And then this tree was craving to look like this. It absolutely had to be styled as is now.
A slap into the face of fundamentalists? Well, maybe. It is their problem, not mine.