Bonsai Northwest Inc Melbourne

Established: 1973 A-19332L

August 2018 Newsletter

In this Issue:

Next Meeting

2018 AABC National

Bonsai Convention July

September Visiting Tutor

Coming Events

Last meeting Peter

Fewster

Wabi-Sabi

Club Details www.bonsainorthwest.com.au

bonsainorthwest@hotmail.com

PO Box 1091

Niddrie Victoria 3042

President: David Nassar

Contact: Barry 0422 619 641

Meetings are held at the

Aberfeldie Community Club,

7B Batman St Essendon at

7:30pm on the first Monday of

the month (no meeting in

January)

Social Media Click on icon to access:

bonsai_northwest

Next Meeting – 6 August 2018 - Workshop This month we’ll be having a workshop. Just a reminder on how workshops are

conducted: if you bring along your tree, remember to bring your own tools and wire so

that you can work on your tree once you’ve received advice/instructions/ideas on what

to do by our experienced member. The experienced members are there to guide you

on your tree only, which then allows them to continue to move around the room and

help others. This will allow everyone a chance at seeking advice and guidance.

This month Ian has offered to run a potting session for the people who have

participated in the beginners’ classes run by him. He will have a separate table at the

back of the room.

The Library will be open from 7pm and will close at 8pm.

2018 AABC National Bonsai Convention July The 2018 AABC National Bonsai Convention hosted by Bonsai Northwest Melbourne

was a massive success. A full report will come out in next month’s newsletter. Thank

you to all who were involved.

Also book early for the 2019 AABC Convention which will be hosted by the Victorian

Native Bonsai club and held in Melbourne again. Email has been sent with all info and

can also can be found at https://www.vicnativebonsai.com.au/

September AABC visiting tutor demonstrator At our September Meeting, we have invited an AABC Visiting Tutor to demonstrate. He

will also be available for a workshop session 10:00am until 1:00pm, Sunday 2

September. If you are interested, please email the Club or call Barry to register your

interest. This is a great opportunity for the newer to intermediate Members to have a

tree designed or refined. This session will be limited to 8 people so it is different from

our hectic Workshop meeting nights. If you want to know more, please give Barry a

call. 0422 619641. Cost will be $30 per person.

Coming Events Waverley Bonsai group exhibition

11-12 August 2018 from 10am to 4pm, Mount Waverley Community Centre, corner of Stephensons Rd. and Miller

Crescent, Mount Waverley. Adults $5 Children free

Northern Suburbs Bonsai Club Exhibition

22-23 September 2018, Bundoora Hall, 20 Noorang Ave Bundoora.

Entry is by gold coin donation

NBPCA Conference 2018 Universal Penjing

18-20 September 2018, Canberra.

www.act.gov.au/UniversalPenjing

Ballarat Bonsai Society Inc. Exhibition

3-4 November 2018

Robert Clarke Centre. Ballarat Botanical Gardens

Geelong Bonsai Show

10-11 November 2018, Saturday 9am-6pm, Sunday 10am-4pm.

Geelong Masonic Centre, Regent st, Belmont, Adults $5, Concession $3, Children accompanied by adult FREE

Last meeting – Peter Fewster Fantastic demonstration by Bonsai Northwest member Peter Fewster on mini (shohin) bonsai. More photos available on

our website and short video on our YouTube channel.

Sponsors:

Ology.net.au - Damian 0412 698 259

Wabi-Sabi - A Japanese Aesthetic by Ian Barnes

The beauty expressed in Japanese arts is often very different from that of Western arts.

In Japanese arts there is a tendency towards simplicity

and restraint. Works impart a sense of elegance and

tranquillity, a kind of “unsophisticated sophistication”.

Japanese artistic expression often conveys connotations

that may seem simple yet are tinged with poignancy;

connotations of loneliness, frailty, impermanence or

resignation.

For example, the true beauty of cherry blossoms is not considered

to be in their full bloom but in their ephemeral quality; the fact that

in a short time the blossoms will be scattered in the wind.

There are two key concepts of Japanese aesthetic appreciation that provide

the background to this sense of beauty - wabi and sabi. Wabi-sabi.

However, the concepts of wabi and sabi are somewhat vague and difficult to define. Although wabi-sabi appears to

be a Japanese term, if you look wabi-sabi up in a Japanese dictionary, you won't find it. If you ask an educated

Japanese person if they know what wabi-sabi means, they will invariably answer "yes". But, if you ask them to define

wabi-sabi, they probably won’t be able to do so. If you ask a Westerner “What is wabi-sabi?” they will quickly tell you

what it looks like. The Japanese struggle to explain wabi-sabi as they try to tell how it feels, not just how it looks!

It has been said that defining wabi-sabi is like explaining the taste of a piece of chocolate by its shape and colour, to

someone who has never tasted it! Various Western authors have tried:

Wabi-Sabi: for Artists, Designers, Poets & Philosophers (1994), by

Leonard Koren.

… wabi-sabi is “the most

conspicuous and characteristic

feature of what we think of as

traditional Japanese beauty.”

Wabi Sabi: The Japanese Art of Impermanence (2003), by

Andrew Juniper.

“If an object or expression can

bring about, within us, a sense of

serene melancholy and a spiritual

longing, then that object could be

said to be wabi-sabi.”

Wabi Sabi Simple: Create beauty. Value imperfection. Live deeply. (2004), by Richard Powell.

“It (wabi-sabi) nurtures all that is

authentic by acknowledging three

simple realities: nothing lasts, nothing

is finished, and nothing is perfect.”

Leonard Koren coined his own definition of wabi-sabi, which has become standard for authors in the West:

“Wabi-sabi is the beauty of things imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete, the antithesis of our classical Western notion of beauty as something perfect, enduring, and monumental.”

In his book, Koren breaks wabi-sabi down into two components, which could be characterised as “form” (the material

manifestations; how wabi-sabi things look, feel, sound, etc) and “spirit” (the philosophical basis; the underlying ideas

that give rise to wabi-sabi's form).

For example:

On a metaphysical level, wabi-sabi is a beauty at the edge of nothingness, ie, a beauty that occurs as things

devolve into, or evolve out of, nothingness. Consequently, wabi-sabi things are subtle and nuanced.

(Imagine dusk approaching in the hinterlands, and a traveller pondering shelter for the night. He notices tall rushes growing everywhere, so he bundles an armful together as they stand in the field, and knots them at the top. Hey presto, a living grass hut. The next morning, before embarking on another day’s journey, he unknots the rushes and the hut de-constructs, disappears, and becomes a virtually indistinguishable part of the larger field of rushes once again. The original wilderness seems to be restored, but minute traces of the

shelter remain. A slight twist or bend in a reed here and there. There is also the memory of the hut in the mind of the traveller—and in the mind of those reading this description. Wabi-sabi, in its purest, most idealised form, is precisely about these delicate traces, this faint evidence, at the borders of nothingness).

The beauty of wabi-sabi is an “event”, a frame of mind, not an intrinsic property of things, ie, the beauty of

wabi-sabi “happens”; it does not reside in objects and/or environments.

(By analogy, if you fall in love with someone or something—say a physically unattractive person, place, or thing—thereafter you will perceive this someone or something as beautiful, even if the rest of the world doesn't).

Wabi-sabi has an educational dimension. Because wabi-sabi things reveal natural processes such as aging,

blemishing, deterioration, etc, they graphically mirror our own mortal journeys through existence. Therefore,

interacting with wabi-sabi objects and environments leads us towards a more graceful acceptance of our

existential fate.

(For example, the luxuriant tree of summer becomes only withered branches in winter; all that remains of a splendid mansion is a crumbled foundation overgrown with weeds and moss. Wabi-sabi images force us to contemplate our own mortality, and they evoke an existential loneliness and tender sadness. They al so stir a mingled bittersweet comfort, since we know all existence shares the same fate).

Wabi-sabi renders poverty beautiful; a democratic beauty available equally to rich and poor alike.

Wabi-sabi is the antithesis of the Classical Western idea of beauty as something perfect, enduring, and/or

monumental.

(Wabi-sabi is not found in nature at moments of bloom and lushness, but at moments of inception or subsiding. Wabi-sabi is not about gorgeous flowers, majestic trees or bold landscapes. Wabi-sabi is about the minor and the hidden, the tentative and the ephemeral: things so subtle and fleeting they are invisible to vulgar eyes. Like homeopathic medicine, the essence of wabi-sabi is apportioned in small doses. As the dose decreases, the effect becomes more potent, more profound. The closer things get to nonexistence, the more exquisite and evocative they become. Consequently to experience wabi-sabi means you have to slow down, be patient and look very closely).

Originally, the meanings of neither wabi nor sabi were specifically related to aesthetic qualities; these developed over

time. Wabi is derived from the verb wabu (to languish) and the adjective wabishii (lonely, comfortless). The original

meaning of sabi is “rust” or “patina”, but it can also mean loneliness and desolation as reflected in the adjective

sabishii (lonely), particularly with reference to old age. Wabi tends to be more philosophical in usage, referring to a

reclusive way of life, “free from worldly concerns” and associated with poverty. In comparison, sabi is more objective

and usually refers to material objects. Generally, both words overlap and are interchangeable, although there are

subtle differences.

The development of the wabi-sabi aesthetic in Japan began in earnest during the Kamakura

Period (1185-1333) coinciding with the spread of newer schools of Buddhism, particularly Zen.

Zen ideas about transcending the mundane world and conventional ways of looking at things,

through concepts like emptiness, impermanence and renunciation, inspired a kind of

appreciation of “negative” experiences such as old age, poverty and loneliness. Hermits,

priests and poets leading a solitary wandering life in search of spiritual insight incorporated this

sense of appreciation in their works and teachings. As these ideas gained momentum, people

tried to resign themselves to the sufferings of life and began to see a kind of beauty in them.

Expressed in artistic forms, this in turn evolved into the aesthetic appreciation of wabi-sabi.

The development of the tea ceremony in the 16th century marks another important

step in the evolution of wabi-sabi. Sen no Rikyū (1522-1591), credited with

establishing the tea ceremony in its current form, was also influential in establishing

wabi-sabi as an aesthetic concept. He extolled the use of simple, indigenous home-

style tea utensils over the expensive and highly decorative tea utensils imported from

China, placing objects expressing wabi-sabi at the pinnacle of aesthetic appreciation.

Initially, these new aesthetics could only be “discovered”, in the humble utensils used

by the common people, or in a neglected stone lantern overgrown with moss.

However, in time, works were intentionally created to reflect wabi-sabi; for example,

raku earthenware tea bowls or the design of the tea-house, which took on the style of

a simple rural hut, with space inside for only two tatami mats or less. Sen no Rikyū.

A Japanese tea house which reflects the wabi-sabi aesthetic, 16th century wabi-sabi tea bowl. Tearoom designed by in Kenroku-en Garden, Japan. Sen no Rikyū.

There are numerous anecdotes about Sen no Rikyū that

illustrate his sense of wabi-sabi. For example, when a

disciple swept the garden completely clear of leaves,

Rikyū admonished him saying he did not know wabi and

shook a branch to provide a scattering of leaves. On

another occasion he made no comment on a prized tea

caddy which a tea master had specially selected to serve

tea to him. Offended by this, the tea master smashed

the caddy. However it was skilfully glued back together

and used on another occasion to serve tea to Rikyū.

This time, recognising the caddy, Rikyū commented that

it had become a piece of sabi.

Peter Chan, leading British bonsai expert and designer/builder of Japanese gardens, has described seven aesthetic

principles of wabi-sabi:

Kintsugi – the Japanese art of fixing broken pottery with lacquer resin mixed with powdered gold. “The piece is more beautiful for having been broken.”

The three core principles are simplicity, tranquillity, and naturalness.

Simplicity is application of the minimum and the appropriate. No more than these is ever needed, yet a profundity of

aesthetic experience results. (“Less is more.” Keep your bonsai simple; in nature the most beautiful trees are often the simplest).

Tranquillity suggests the quality of feeling refreshed and touched within, but with solace and calm, not excitement or

over-stimulation. (Bonsai is a tranquil art. It invokes feelings of peace and quiet).

Naturalness is the avoidance of contrivance. The artist attempts to make the artwork appear to have always been

part of nature, as if no human intervention ever took place. The object seems to have been a propitious result of

natural accidents. (Your bonsai should be as natural as possible. Artificial looking trees that have been highly refined look silly and serve merely as “plastic” plants).

From wabi come two core principles: non-attachment and subtle profundity.

Non-attachment gives the work its fresh and original feeling. The object is somehow familiar but does not depend on

anything else. (Bonsai encompasses ideals around the shying away from societal conventions and breaking the mould).

Subtle profundity is the notion of depth of feeling and meaning. Chan calls it the “intimation of inexhaustibility.”

(When you stare at a proud bonsai, often you will experience feelings of mystery, spirituality, historical reflection or you will simply just appreciate its regal standing. The subtle appearance of its tiny branches and their twists and turns will subtly tell a story of it’s past. Meditate with your bonsai! Zen meditation concerns the discarding of unnecessary baggage and focusing on empty space in which to grow).

From sabi come two core principles: austere sublimity and asymmetry.

Asymmetry rejects symmetry in form and balance in order to conform to nature. It is a balance of object against

space, of place and proportion. This is the opposite of historically Western aesthetics, where painting, music, and

poetry all conform to an almost mathematical prescription for symmetry. (Asymmetry is a most fundamental characteristic of bonsai, creating both space and visual harmony).

Austere sublimity reduces the object and its context to the essential. All non-essentials burden the viewer and

interfere with the aesthetic experience, so that the object, now lacking the superfluous, conveys the sublime. Austere

sublimity maintains a strong emotive element. (In creating a beautiful bonsai, it is inevitable that the artist’s personality and character will come across in its appearance. Every twist of trunk and branches will provide the audience with an insight into the artist’s soul).

We can also categorise wabi-sabi design principles as:

type – materials are organic not synthetic; not polished; and will express the passage of time,

form – natural, asymmetrical and irregular; the work is itself, not a symbol of anything,

texture - rough, varied, and uneven,

beauty - unconventional beauty,

colour - muted and subdued colours,

simplicity – lack of adulteration,

space – proportion and perspective,

balance - natural and unforced,

sobriety - what’s left out is more important than what’s left in.

Wabi-sabi in Bonsai

In bonsai, wabi-sabi is a key Japanese aesthetic concept. Simplistically, wabi is the kind of beauty that is caused by

the right kind of imperfection, and sabi is the kind of beauty that comes only with age.

Wabi can refer to quirks and anomalies

arising from the process of construction,

which add uniqueness and elegance to an

object, such as the pattern made by a

flowing or crackled glaze on a pot. Sabi can refer to the patina of age found in old

weathered bark or stones.

Imperfection is artistically and aesthetically valuable in bonsai. But this doesn’t

mean the bonsai artist can be sloppy. Imperfection must be controlled by the

artist, so the expression is natural; it should not express laziness. In bonsai,

this means that some branches might be disordered slightly in order to achieve

a sense of imperfectness. Contrived perfection will never do. A branch

structure arranged like the spokes in a wheel is not wabi-sabi and should be

avoided. This is also the case with the arrangement of roots. A few crossing

roots are much better than straight “nicely” arranged roots.

The odd angle of these branches make this Japanese maple slightly “imperfect”.

Almost everything in bonsai design (tree silhouette, foliage pads, etc) can be formed to suggest scalene triangles (ie,

a triangle having 3 unequal sides). Triangles tend to be pleasing because of their structural strength. The irregularity

of the scalene triangle illustrates the wabi-sabi principle that imperfection is natural.

Scalene triangle defining silhouette Scalene triangles defining trunk Scalene triangle establishing of a bonsai. and foliage pads. width and depth of a bonsai.

Wabi-sabi seeks simplicity and quietness

and disdains overly showy displays. In

flowering bonsai for instance, it isn’t the

number of flowers that counts, but the

beauty of each flower itself. The quality

and beauty of a single flower is lost when

they are presented in large numbers;

therefore fewer flowers are usually better.

Wabi-sabi is the beauty of empty space, where what is omitted is as important as what is included. In bonsai, the

use of less material demands imagination from both the artist and the viewer.

Wabi-sabi can also be called the intuitive appreciation of

transient beauty in the physical world. There is a

melancholic beauty that exists in an item that

communicates the impermanence of all things. This

beauty is what we appreciate in Japanese bonsai, and

we should try to implement that spirit in our Western

approach to bonsai.

A bonsai is never finished – it is a continual process.

Mario Komsta is a Bonsai artist from Poland. Bunjin is almost entirely concerned with He claims that the manipulation and maintenance of Bonsai trees wabi-sabi. Wabi, expressing modesty, is an example of wabi-sabi. melancholy, poverty, simplicity, loneliness, Wabi-sabi celebrates cracks and crevices, and all the other marks quiet dignity. Sabi, portraying great age, that time, weather, and loving use leave behind. It is the transience, patina, impermanence. undeclared beauty that waits patiently to be discovered in a bonsai. Combining these two elements is always utmost on the mind of a bonsai artist when they work a tree. This young artist understands wabi-sabi and demonstrates how to pull beauty from a tree.

Conclusion

Wabi-sabi is both a philosophy or world view and a design aesthetic. It is both easy and difficult to define and

describe. You can get at it by talking about its aesthetics, but to truly get wabi-sabi you have to experience it for

yourself. You have to feel the beauty in imperfection, impermanence, and incompleteness.

Less is more, simple is beautiful and there is endless beauty in

the everyday objects around you.

Nothing is perfect. Nothing is permanent. Nothing is complete.

It’s about finding beauty in imperfection and nature, including

the cycles of growth, decay, and death.

Wabi-sabi is an ideal philosophy for bonsai. It refers to the balance and

appreciation of both the human and natural aspects of the world. It combines

the human aspect of training (including the construction of the pot) with the

natural aspect of the tree.

A bonsai is the result of an artistic and technical discipline that may ultimately

demonstrate wabi-sabi.

I think that Westerners need to understand the concept of wabi-sabi in order to

fully succeed with bonsai. This does not mean we should neglect our own

heritage, cultural values, personal expressions, or our ways of thinking about

bonsai; but having an understanding of wabi-sabi, and bringing that to the art

of Western bonsai, will certainly improve the art.