This Exhibition made possible
by a gift from Mr. and Mrs. M. Burnham
BONSAI BY DESIGN:
The Living Art of Bonsai
April 6-July 6, 2025
By Bob Hilvers
By Clark Bonsai Museum Curator,
Bob Hilvers
All bonsai design is based on five fundamental trunk forms and inclinations. However, the
fundamental forms only serve as a guide to what is possible as interpretations of nature’s myriad
tree shapes and forms. All bonsai design must also follow the basic aesthetic principles of line and
form, balance and proportion, and perhaps the most pronounced use of asymmetry in any
commonly practiced art form. For a bonsai artist to successfully create the image of a miniature
tree, fundamental design and aesthetic concepts must be melded with an intimate understanding
of the natural environments that influence tree characteristics. The Bonsai By Design Exhibition
will explore the processes used by bonsai artists to develop distinctive and intriguing
interpretations of nature’s influence on trees.
Nature has provided much of the visual interest in the design of this bald cypress bonsai, and there in lies one of the challenges for Bonsai artists –how to preserve and depict the spirit of a wild tree in a confined environment. The tall, tapering trunk is thus accentuated, providing a soaring and graceful image. The crown of foliage is carefully manipulated, resulting in a complex yet harmoniously pleasing blend of nature and intentional design.
The unexpected image of the lower trunk spilling beyond the confines of the pot and the upper trunk thrusting upward in a dramatic diagonal,creates a feeling of nature barely
contained.The entire composition precariously balanced, filling us with an exciting sense of vibrant organicenergy waiting for a chance to
escape.
Curiously the trunk lines in this bonsai dynamically diverge away from each other creating an initialimpression of disharmony. However, the form of this bonsai is of two unequal visual components: the foliage masses on the separated trunks. However the asymmetrical balance between the major and lesser foliage masses reconciles the divergence of the trunks resulting in unexpected harmony.
This bonsai is often called "The Three Dancers.” The narrow trunk width relative to the vertical
height of the trees creates an elegant, graceful image. The rhythmic repetition of gentle curves in the trunks creates a sense of harmonious movement, as if the trees were dancing to some silent melody. Close your eyes and listen, can you hear nature's music? The trees do.
The line depicted by the trunk of a bonsai allows Bonsai
artists to imply movement, shape, austerity, balance,
rhythm and a host of other evocative visual messages.
Straight lines can be static and uninteresting, yet, this
composition is a collection of vertical lines offering a
most alluring bonsai. How can that be? The spacing
between the trunk lines seems random and each trunk
differs only slightly in diameter with an almost
imperceptible difference in inclination. No single tree
completely obscures another. The result is a visually rich
image using only straight lines, providing a testament to
the aesthetic genius of the artist .that created this
composition.
The original artist of this coast live oak bonsai is Katsumi Kinoshita who has been a Bonsai artist for over 60 years, serving as the sensei (teacher) of the Monterey Bonsai Club and for other groups of bonsai enthusiasts. He is well known for his mastery of bonsai made from Monterey coastal native species. The Clark Bonsai Museum is honored to have several of his bonsai which are on display in the current Bonsai By Design Exhibition. During our celebration of World Bonsai Day on May 3, we will have the pleasure of honoring Katsumi Kinoshita in gratitude for his lifelong contribution to the art of Bonsai and his generous support of the Clark Bonsai Museum.
Hardly the image of graceful line and asymmetrical form we often associate with the art of Bonsai, the proportions of this rugged coast live oak, with a heavy trunk and compact height, presents an image of wild power, contained but not tamed. A slight inclination of the trunk line only hints at a measure of dynamic movement and asymmetry. A pronounced scar in the center of the trunk, calloused over by generations of growth, gives visual emphasis of some ancient disaster and offers us a momentary glimpse into the tenacity of life. These design elements combine to create a complex visual image that consistently attracts the fascinated interest of our visitors.
