The Stunning Art Of Deformity
Perry Bain carefully clipped a bit of new growth from his prized tree, 25 years old, yet only two feet tall.
“A tree like this that is 25 years old has received a lot of love and care in its time,” he said.
Such is the art of bonsai (pronounced “bone-sai”), the ancient Chinese art of dwarfing trees. The art was brought to Japan sometime between 1150 and 1330 A.D. Since then, generals and samurai, and more recently affluent business-types, have displayed the tiny trees on specifically designed shelves.
An ancient scroll from that long-ago time, known now as the Kamakura period, laid out the then-emperor’s feelings on bonsai.
“To appreciate and find pleasure in curiously curved potted trees is to love deformity,” it read.
Nobody knows for sure if that line is a compliment or not, but Bain likes bonsai just fine, thank you. His business, Bonsai Center of Robbinsdale, is based on the little trees, which he said help many people relax from their busy lives.
“A lot of people are trying to get more in tune with nature. People who work in cubicles don’t always get to see so much nature,” he said. “These are good trees for homes and offices, because they don’t all need so much light.”
Growing a bonsai is truly an exercise in patience and resolve. The grower starts by wrapping a young tree’s individual branches with wire, manipulating the direction of its growth. The wires must remain in place for at least a year for the branch to take shape.
After a year, during which the tree’s new growth is consistently pruned, the grower removes the bonsai from its decorative pot and trims its roots back. New wires are later applied, and the process continues indefinitely.
Nature, by its nature, is unrestrained. Bain said the results aren’t always as good as the grower hopes. But then the bonsai’s real beauty comes into view.
“I’ve made mistakes, because it’s not that easy,” he said. “Sometimes I’ll do one and I don’t like the shape it takes, but my wife does.”
Although purists maintain that only certain trees can be made into bonsai – junipers, for instance – the art can be successfully applied to a number of trees, even other plants.
“All the books I have say you can pretty much bonsai any tree,” Bain said. “Bonsai is just the process of keeping a tree small.”
For the lesser-skilled grower, it can be the process of just keeping the tree alive. Bonsai are very particular about moving around, and must be kept sopping wet. A healthy bonsai has moss at its base.
Bain’s business is doing well, as he’s almost constantly on the road, setting up at craft shows and flea markets. But he’s looking to expand into the professional market. He said a lot of doctors’ and lawyers’ offices could benefit from a bonsai.
“They make great conversation pieces, especially if you’re sitting and waiting,” Bain said. “They’re really something to talk about.”
“A tree like this that is 25 years old has received a lot of love and care in its time,” he said.
Such is the art of bonsai (pronounced “bone-sai”), the ancient Chinese art of dwarfing trees. The art was brought to Japan sometime between 1150 and 1330 A.D. Since then, generals and samurai, and more recently affluent business-types, have displayed the tiny trees on specifically designed shelves.
An ancient scroll from that long-ago time, known now as the Kamakura period, laid out the then-emperor’s feelings on bonsai.
“To appreciate and find pleasure in curiously curved potted trees is to love deformity,” it read.
Nobody knows for sure if that line is a compliment or not, but Bain likes bonsai just fine, thank you. His business, Bonsai Center of Robbinsdale, is based on the little trees, which he said help many people relax from their busy lives.
“A lot of people are trying to get more in tune with nature. People who work in cubicles don’t always get to see so much nature,” he said. “These are good trees for homes and offices, because they don’t all need so much light.”
Growing a bonsai is truly an exercise in patience and resolve. The grower starts by wrapping a young tree’s individual branches with wire, manipulating the direction of its growth. The wires must remain in place for at least a year for the branch to take shape.
After a year, during which the tree’s new growth is consistently pruned, the grower removes the bonsai from its decorative pot and trims its roots back. New wires are later applied, and the process continues indefinitely.
Nature, by its nature, is unrestrained. Bain said the results aren’t always as good as the grower hopes. But then the bonsai’s real beauty comes into view.
“I’ve made mistakes, because it’s not that easy,” he said. “Sometimes I’ll do one and I don’t like the shape it takes, but my wife does.”
Although purists maintain that only certain trees can be made into bonsai – junipers, for instance – the art can be successfully applied to a number of trees, even other plants.
“All the books I have say you can pretty much bonsai any tree,” Bain said. “Bonsai is just the process of keeping a tree small.”
For the lesser-skilled grower, it can be the process of just keeping the tree alive. Bonsai are very particular about moving around, and must be kept sopping wet. A healthy bonsai has moss at its base.
Bain’s business is doing well, as he’s almost constantly on the road, setting up at craft shows and flea markets. But he’s looking to expand into the professional market. He said a lot of doctors’ and lawyers’ offices could benefit from a bonsai.
“They make great conversation pieces, especially if you’re sitting and waiting,” Bain said. “They’re really something to talk about.”
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posted by Davor Novakovic @ Thursday, June 16, 2005
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