IS BONSAI ART? 

Bonsai is living art.

Living art is exactly why I fell in love with it. You feel like you are done and 2 years later you can change the whole tree

I love this -- the entire concept -- more than I can possibly express. It's certainly art. And we need more of this art.

Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder

Absolutely. Living art.

Your vid quality is always top notch. My inspiration to documenting Indonesian bonsai in proper way possible.

Beautiful and interesting video. Yes Bjorn i agree with you,bonsai is an art form and his works are living sculptures!👍👍👍👍

What a wonderful event for you to be a part of! Great interviews! And you definitely have a great eye for videography.

Fantastic video, Bjorn! This is a great subject, and a video like this will definitely promote Bonsai as an art. (as it should be!) I think the debate about whether Bonsai is considered an art or a craft has valid points on both sides. Personally, I think the classification of Bonsai as art or craft comes down to an individual's personal definition of art. I lean towards considering Bonsai as an art form because it provides a unique medium for self-expression and creativity. Just as you wonderfully put it... working on trees allows us to have an impact on them and express our vision for the tree. As artists, we have a variety of options and tools at our disposal to shape the final design of the tree. Just like a painter has a range of colors to work with, in Bonsai, we consider the placement of branches, the graceful curves of the trunk, and the selection of the container, among other factors. However, it is true that while Bonsai can evoke emotions, appreciation for beauty, and a sense of harmony, it often relies on the inherent aesthetics of nature itself. The primary artistic expression in Bonsai lies in the meticulous shaping, styling, and arrangement of the tree, as well as the thoughtful choice of a suitable container. These visual elements, although captivating, may not inherently convey explicit or complex ideas or narratives. In comparison, art forms like painting or music offer a broader range of expressive possibilities. Paintings, for example, can utilize symbolism, abstraction, and various techniques to convey specific messages or concepts. They have the capacity to explore a wide spectrum of emotions, depict narratives, or engage in social and political commentary. Similarly, music can evoke emotions and tell stories through melodies, harmonies, rhythms, and lyrics. However, despite these differences, I firmly believe that Bonsai should not be disregarded as an art. Its unique combination of nature and human creativity deserves recognition as a distinctive artistic practice. Bonsai allows us to create living sculptures and express our artistic vision through the careful cultivation and shaping of trees. It invites contemplation, appreciation for nature's beauty, and a sense of harmony... Bonsai possesses its own artistic merits and should be treated as a form of art. Bonsai artists contribute to the rich tapestry of artistic expression, showcasing the beauty of nature and the creative ingenuity of humanity. Keep up the great work man! 😊😊

When curated well bonsai is elevated to an art form.

great job Bjorn, wonderful to see bonsai in a gallery setting and critiqued outside of more traditional bonsai standards. Also great to see the 2nd round of trees that weren't at the opening.

In Bonsai, you're "stilling," pruning, tending to - something *sublime and tense , and the barely detectable - but gorgeous to behold - gleaning of dynamic force. In the honoring of the sublime, Bonsai is worthy of reflection, worthy of formal, solemn viewing, as it is just as appropriate to enjoy the live object in the privacy of one's home or sanctuary - a *poetry, a meditation, for sure.

Superb documentary. Bonsai is a great vehicle and outlet for artistic expression. That it is a living, growing, transforming medium makes it all the more magical and charming.

Hope you make more about bonsai film and video 🙇🏻‍♂️🙇🏻‍♂️

Very nice video Bjorn Bonsai is art for sure. Hope you are going to post long videos of you styling bonsai again. So good to listen to you as you're making decisions and sharing your thought process. Love the content!

Nice sharing videos

Great to see these worlds come together! Excellent video as always Björn.

Great content! Love your videos and everything you bring to bonsai art.

Fantastic video, very well put together.

Simply lovely.

very interesting and learn something from here

one of the finest Arts !!! u can keep an Tree for 1000 years and it is still not done !! tell me another art when they do that !

Awesome video

Great Video, hope it opens more museum and gallery doors for bonsai, we, Mobile , Ala did a two week show in the city museum 1990,s brought in largest crowd ever for museum. Joe Day

Fantastic idea!

Japanese make bonsai as a craft, as Bjorn accurately (and first hand experienced) says. Only that they are bringing this art into a superior level, beyond other arts: To life.

Of course it is art!!

Bonsai is a delicate art🙏🏽

Very inspirational thank you cheers 😮

Is Bonsai an art? That is a very good question and really needs to be split into two parts. Firstly what is Art? Art is a medium of expression. In what ever medium they choose, each artist produces a piece of art that comes from the soul. Even if it's a portrait or representation of something in real life, it is still a individual representation following that individuals interpretation of how they see it. Now let's answer the question, what is Bonsai? In the truest sense, bonsai is simply a tree in a pot. But it goes deeper than this. Bonsai is a way of miniaturising a tree. Now whether this is done following the natural characteristics of the larger counterpart or done in a wacky abstract way using wire, is completely down to the individual creators actions. So factoring in these two ideas, what are we left with. Bonsai must be an art. It is a medium of creation. It is subjective. It is a representation of an individuals interpretation. If it wasn't, then bonsai would grow in the wild. Oh wait, would you call a tree in a forest art. Of course it is. Mother nature herself created it! Or if you are a believer god. If God is the master creator, then we must be witnessing his art all around us.

For me bonsai is art. 'm agree with you

Absolutely a art form , living art always changing ♥️🌲🌳

Fantástico. Un gran acierto, ya que realmente también es un poco elevar el cultivo a un nivel artístico para provocar esas emociones o sensaciones.

I think it is because a bonsai artist creates something that tries to represent an ideal of beauty and maybe a story to tell. After all a bonsai isn't just a tree that's been forced to stay very small but something that also pleases the eye while in the same time suggesting a mood, a feeling.

Yes it is art

an evolving art , not stagnate or static , thats why i chose bonsai as my media to express something

I must express my sincere admiration for this truly captivating and visually stunning video. Bjorn, your insightful observation resonates deeply with me as I wholeheartedly concur that bonsai transcends mere horticulture and truly embodies the essence of an exquisite art form. Witnessing these remarkable creations in motion, it becomes abundantly clear that these bonsai masterpieces are nothing short of living sculptures. Each carefully pruned branch and meticulously nurtured leaf serves as a testament to the artist's unwavering dedication and profound understanding of nature's harmonious beauty. Such intricate and awe-inspiring works of art truly deserve our utmost reverence and appreciation. cheers.

I started as an artist, what really got me into bonsai was the art and design part of the hobby. I definitely think bonsai is art! Great video!

Is Bonsai art ? Well as Rev Lovejoy stated "Yes with an if, no with a but".... (as with so many things in life).

greetings Indonesian bonsai lovers

Like with grow lights during their dormancy?

didn’t peter warren do this with Natural Flux?

What type of trees are that at 3:11? and 5:03?

Great idea, great video

I´ve once read a book about art and craftsmanship (im mexican so the concept im translating from craftsmanship is *artesania* that is a word used for ceramics in general, woodwork, sculptures of many kinds i will explain why im saying this) stating the core differences between them. Disclaimer: this is not a fact just intelectual play in ideas branching from art dont take this as "discriminatory" or thinking one is "better" than the other in any shape or form both (arts like music, cinema wtf and crafts like woodwork and pottery) are ways to conceive esthetics. 1. Art at its core is utilitarian "useless" in the sense that you cant build, feed or make any materials with it (it has other purpose) and crafts (like mugs, utensils) are usefull in the sense they were made for a task and on top of that utility the colors, efects with the materials make them estethicaly pleasant. 2. Not always but very often art and artist have the "goal" to innovate with new techniques, new ideas and new mediums and crafts often relie in past techniques and preserving with traditions. 3. Art is often depicted having unique pieces and crafts have more of a "on series" type of producing making them a bit repetitive but ofcourse not every tree is the absolute same. So based on these ideas i think bonsai is a mix of bothe characteristics and is not bounded to any of them. By itself the tree is not more "usefull" that a tree in the ground so is at its core "useless", but i think bonsai is more bounded to the esthetic of past bonsai artists than having a more innovating spirit (not saying there is not an evolution of style, you can see it in the book techniques for bonsai from John Naka that the style back then of bonsai is a bit more delicate and less full pads than now, also is very important to note that the medium is really bounded to nature laws and that grounds the bonsai artists to a similar style that i personaly love. Art is a very difficult word to define and i think trying to fit a medium in a category is useless and pointless. Let just enjoy everything that we like as it is. :D

👍

♥️♥️

I’m a painter,also a bonsai artist

👍👌👌🙂

It's technically a form of sculpture. It just happens to use live material as a medium

It is difficult to perceive it as such because even though it is the bonsai artist that has a tremendous influence on the tree, it is also the tree that makes a lot of 'decisions' for the artist. with music; when you don't play the note, there is no note. with painting; when you don't brush a stroke, there is no stroke. with bonsai; there IS a tree, regardless, unless you've left it to die. I'm surprised that bonsai artists want bonsai to be perceived more like other arts are... even though bonsai is a lot more true to life for it actually is about life and death, and other arts don't have that element as much. music does die out once it's stopped playing. but a painting is in that regard 'the least alive' since it just IS there... it doesn't do anything... Bonsai is a very humble art form; there is a lot less room for showing your uniqueness, without the proper attention all your work could die out, and 'normies' don't even perceive it to be an artform as they do with music or paintings.

Yep. It's Art.

Colossal effort by everyone.

❤❤😂😂

Simple answer: Definitely!!!!

❤😂🎉🎉🎉

Bonsai has long been an art in East Asia, especially in its native China and Japan

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Bonsai is beautiful but it's not fine art. It is independent of the medium being alive and changing as there are plenty of art forms that change or are short lived. Not everything that is exhibited in a museum or art gallery is art either. The garden at Vaux-le-Vicomte convinced me that gardening can be fine art but I still have to see something similar in bonsai.

Lol its the definition of art.

another reason why bonsai isn't really taken as seriously as other art forms - by the art world: it is generally way too difficult for curators to busy themselves with a living tree. Most times art galleries are open 3 or 4 days a week and chaotic as those types of people are: sometimes it's not even clear who will open the gallery; this guy, that girl, who received a notice in the group app? Also, the art world is lazy; just look at all the easy craft-less crap they make. I can tell, I've been part of it for a while - a masters degree even - trying to get my foothold with, stupidly enough, traditional realistic oil painting. I've stopped that in favour for bonsai. it was not at all stimulating to have my hard earned craft next to some abstract lump of shit with zero effort. I would suggest to appreciate that 'the bonsai world' still IS about skill, CRAFT, and many universal truths and beauty standards. It IS measurable to an extend, and there IS a heirarchy of skill and beauty in that world and it's MUCH the better for it. All those qualities are dead in the 'modern art space'. And those are not the leading qualities in the music industry anymore either. It is perhaps that bonsai is the last bastion of such traditional norms and values. Writing this I'm glad I discovered it.

Refined Bonsai are living art. However, not everything that is defined as a Bonsai is art (undeveloped material). Old trees and refined Bonsai that are masterpieces are most definitely art.

I 100% Believe it's art IF you put 'you' into the tree. Bending and wiring to look like something you see in a book is just flattery to the original artist...be true to your vision, accept critique and praise, but be true to you. That's the art.

100% - it is art.