Advanced Bonsai

Course
Bjorn Bjorholm

Bonsai professional who studied this living art for over six years in Japan.

Class curriculum for part one

1. Course introduction

1.1. Welcome

Welcome to our Advanced course! Your teacher, Bjorn Bjorholm, will briefly
introduce the course in this first lecture.
The first two sections of this online course are all about the Philosophy and
Aesthetics & Design of Bonsai. A good understanding of these topics will greatly help
build your understanding and knowledge of Bonsai. We then dive deep into advanced
Bonsai technique, categorized by tree species.
After watching this first lecture you can proceed to the next one by clicking
"Next lecture". Comments and questions can be submitted underneath each individual
lecture and will be answered by Bjorn. Also, please note all lectures have English
subtitles available.

The course contents:

1. A short introduction
Our welcome and an introduction to the course.
(Lecture 1)

2. Philosophy
Bjorn explains the definition of Bonsai as well as its status as art form.
(Lectures 2 - 3)

3. Aesthetics & Design

We dive into the environmental, cultural and historical influences on Bonsai
and investigate contemporary Bonsai design.
(Lectures 4 - 8)
 Techniques - Junipers
Advanced techniques for Juniper Bonsai.
(Lectures 9 - 13)

Techniques - Pines
Advanced techniques for Pine Bonsai.
(Lectures 14 - 17)

Techniques - Broadleaf/Deciduous Opposite leaf pattern

Advanced techniques for Broadleaf/Deciduous trees with opposite leaf patterns.
(Lectures 18 - 21)

Techniques - Broadleaf/Deciduous Alternate leaf pattern

Advanced techniques for Broadleaf/Deciduous trees with alternate leaf patterns.
(Lectures 22 - 25)

Conclusion
Concluding remarks.
(Lecture 26)

1.2 A short introduction

Bonsai is a unique art form that requires knowledge of horticulture, basic physics,
and engineering as well as understanding of artistic principles of design. The former,
technical aspects of bonsai, while vast, are relatively easy to decipher via the scientific
method and trial-and-error. It is it latter, subjective elements of bonsai art aspects of design,
line, asymmetry, and flow that are more difficult to teach, learn, and understand.
In this tutorial, though we will attempt to explain these features of bonsai creation
and design. This Advanced Bonsai Course is divided into four main categories: Philosophy,
Aesthetics and Design, Techniques, and Display. In each category we will take a deep-dive
look into aspects of bonsai art and the advanced techniques requisite in attaining desired
design outcomes.
The first two sections, Philosophy, and Aesthetics and Design will deal with the
more nuanced, numinous, and introspective elements of bonsai. We will discuss the deeper
meaning of the term bonsai, the notion of bonsai as art and the elements of Japanese nature,
culture, and history that have influenced the development of bonsai in its contemporary
context in Japan.
The theoretical aspects covered in each of these sections will then be put into
practice and tested in long-form case studies and tested in long-form case studies We will
look at modern bending, grafting, and developmental techniques as applied to Conifers,
Deciduous, and Broadleaf Evergreen species. Now, sit back, relax, and prepare to learn
about Bonsai Art and Design!
2. Philosofy

2.1. Bonsai defined

The best place to begin is to define the necessary terms that frame the conversation.
In this case, what exactly does the word "bonsai" mean? Perhaps the etymology of the term
itself will shed some light on the subject. The word bonsai consists of two kanji characters.
The first of these symbols is 盆 (bon), meaning "tray" or "container" followed by 栽 (sai),
which means "to plant." In other words, bonsai can be loosely
translated as "to plant in a container."
Simple enough, but why then do we not consider every container grown plant as a
bonsai? What is it that delineates bonsai art from other similar horticultural practices?
Perhaps, then, there is some broader element of artistic or aesthetic practice that can be
employed as a distinguishing factor.
While this certainly narrows the field of view it fails to eliminate other areas of
ornamental horticultural practice including niwaki, topiary, espalier, and many others which
also utilize aesthetic design principles applied to living plant material. In fact, many of
these principles are directly translatable for use in bonsai culture particularly those applied
to particularly those applied to Japanese niwaki, or garden trees. One need only visit
Ritsurin Park in Takamatsu or Tenryu-ji in Kyoto Japanese niwaki, or garden trees to see
these similarities in design and to appreciate the practical diligence of centuries of applied
technique.
Maybe, then, there exist narrower, more specific design parameters that provide a
foundation on which to define the term. This, however, is a rather treacherous road to
traverse. Again, not only are many of the design principles utilized in both garden trained
and container-grown niwaki nearly identical to those applied in bonsai but creating specific
design parameters necessarily stifles artistic expression and will inevitably limit our later
ability to persuade others of the value of bonsai as art.
One common assertion in defining bonsai is that they must be small. Well, how
small? Are there any limits to the size of a bonsai? In a contemporary Japanese context,
there are in fact size limitations in bonsai art particularly for trees exhibited at the Kokufu-
ten, or Japanese National Exhibition. But are these size regulations necessarily applicable to
all bonsai in all contexts? To understand why these size limitations are in place at the
Kokufu-ten in Japan and whether or not they should apply more broadly to bonsai art let’s
take an in-depth look at the exhibition itself.
The Kokufu-ten, held each February at the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum in Ueno is
the world's most prestigious annual bonsai showcase. Exhibited trees must fall within the
specified size ranges of any of three classifications. Shohin bonsai are those measuring up
to 20cm in height from the upper lip of the pot to the highest point on the tree. These are
usually displayed in groups as five or seven-point arrangements. Chuuhin bonsai range in
size from about 35 to 45cm in height, again measured in the same manner. again measured
in the same manner. These are typically displayed in a three-point arrangement with a
single Shohin bonsai and an accent plant. The last category is that of Ogata bonsai which
mostly range in size from 60 to 100cm (1m).
 These categorical size ranges are in place at the Kokufu-ten for two specific
reasons: to aid in the judging process and the issuing of awards and to guarantee
overcrowding does not occur in the limited available space of the museum. But this says
nothing about size limitations as a defining factor of bonsai in general. In fact, there are
numerous examples of bonsai with heights well beyond 1m both in famous nurseries and in
the Imperial collection in Japan and in the gardens of artists and professionals around the
world, including in Vietnam, China, India and across Europe. While these extra large
examples may be in the minority with most bonsai situated between 10cm and 1m in height
this in no way excludes them from falling under the purview of bonsai art.
Can, then, an argument be made for a species-based definition of bonsai? In other
words, can we narrow the field by eliminating certain species for inclusion as bonsai? I am
often asked by the general public if the word bonsai refers to only one species of plant the
answer to which is of course not. It is also often asserted that species used for bonsai must
be those with woody trunks and small leaves. While these traits might make the
development of aged-looking trunks and fine branch structures easier and quicker to attain
they are not intrinsic to the definition of bonsai.
Bonsai is a dynamic art in that both subjective and objective elements must be
weighed against each other in the creation and development of each piece. For example, if
the subjective value judgement is that fine branch ramification is desirable then an
objective decision can be made about the ways to achieve that outcome. In such a case,
selecting varieties or cultivars of species with smaller leaf sizes and nodal distances (in
addition to the employment of proper horticultural techniques) will help one better, and
more quickly, reach that end goal. However, if one places greater emphasis on the
enjoyment of fruit or flowers then perhaps small leaf size is less important in choosing a
particular species for use in bonsai culture. It cannot be said, then, that the range of species
is a foundational, defining factor of bonsai; only that the subjective value judgements in
design must first be identified and the subsequent objective tools needed to achieve those
goals must then be tested in species-specific contexts.
How about, then, the necessity of utilizing a single front view in bonsai design as a
defining factor of the term? While this is certainly true in many cases, it is not a
foundational element of bonsai. Bonsai often possess qualities that are visually appealing
from a number of positions and that may be exploited to varying degrees in the evolution of
each tree's design over its life. I myself have frequently argued that bonsai are to be viewed
from one particular front and angle or height and while I hold firmly to this view I make the
argument only as it applies to a tree at any one point in its development as a bonsai.
Bonsai necessarily change over time through natural and cumulative processes and
this invariably affects the chosen design of any given artist at any one point in time. Each
time a bonsai is worked, subtle (or dramatic) changes occur making whatever chosen front
fleeting at best in the total life of a tree. While these snapshots in time represent the efforts
and tastes of a given artist they are sure to quickly fade. This is part of the dynamism and
uniqueness of bonsai as art to be embraced and experienced in the journey of each tree.
Where, then, does this leave us in our pursuit to objectively define bonsai? Thus far,
the discussion has revolved around subtracting the elements that do not define the word.
Here, let's attempt to parse out those that add to it. First, let's discuss the medium with
which we work in bonsai art, that is, living plant material. There are no exceptions to this
fundamental component of bonsai. Yes, it is often the case that entire portions of individual
plants are intentionally killed off for various design purposes and yes, deadwood features
are sometimes incorporated in multi-trunk and other compositions. But this in no way
detracts from the core fact that bonsai necessarily requires living plant material to be
considered as such. Otherwise, call it what it is deadwood art or driftwood sculpture or a
dead stick in a pot.
Next, by definition, this living plant material is at risk of no longer being alive and
thus to lose its status as a bonsai. It is then imperative upon us as creators, designers, and
enthusiasts of bonsai art to hedge against this eventual inevitability by utilizing any number
of scientifically based horticultural techniques to ensure and protect a given plant's
longevity and status as a bonsai.
By limiting the growth potential and root development of a plant we are invariably
weakening it over time. However, it is incumbent upon us to counter this decline by
utilizing proper techniques not only to prop up the health of the plant but also to exploit
(whether by inducing or limiting) growth habits conducive to attaining whatever subjective
design goals we value. Identifying the objective techniques to be employed for reaching
these subjective goals can, and must, be established through rigorous testing, preferably in a
controlled environment.
Perhaps the most unique aspect of bonsai and what sets it apart from other forms of
art, is the element of time. While most works of art are static created as snapshots in time to
be viewed or experienced in perpetuity in working with living plant material, bonsai is
necessarily subject to change over time. Branches perish, foliage elongates, and the overall
design shifts sometimes subtly, sometimes dramatically.
The variable of time is often overlooked in defining bonsai; however, I view it as
perhaps the most important definitive aspect of the art. In creating, designing, or altering
the appearance of a bonsai we are doing so (or should be) with the explicit understanding
that the decisions we make at any given point in time can and will manifest themselves in
specific, predictable ways in the future perhaps within a few days in a single growing
season, or decades down the road. The foresight needed to make proper decisions in design
is a skill that requires time and diligence to perfect and it is an inseparable component from
the proper practice of bonsai.
The definition of bonsai must also include an understanding of bonsai as an
emergent art produced via the application of short-term and long-term maintenance and
horticultural techniques. Not only are techniques for maintenance necessary to keep our
chosen medium alive and thriving but they are also part of the cumulative design process in
bonsai art.
I often find that the greatest common emphasis in this field is placed on the initial
"bone-setting" aspect of design and that this is what defines the artistry of bonsai. Certainly
weight should be given to this area but not at the expense, or to the diminishment of the
cumulative effects of proper maintenance on the design and form of a bonsai. This is a
particularly potent argument in relation to deciduous species trained as bonsai as the results
of both good and\bad maintenance techniques become glaringly obvious in the bare, Winter
months when the trees are free of foliage. How we deduce what techniques to apply to each
species involves first identifying subjective design goals followed by a rigorous, scientific
examination of the objective horticultural practices necessary to achieve those outcomes.
We will explore this subject in more detail later in this tutorial.
The cumulative nature of bonsai art is further compounded by the very fact that
many individual trees will pass through the hands of numerous artists throughout their
existence as bonsai. Each subsequent person adds, whether subtly or dramatically, to the
design of the plant shifting angles, removing branches, changing species through grafting,
etc. This process adds to the provenance of a bonsai and to the uniqueness of the art as a
community practice. It should be noted that this communal effort can be, but is not always,
collaborative. What is fascinating about bonsai in Japan is that the larger cultural context
which places great value on subtlety and nuance has influenced the cumulative component
of bonsai art. That is to say, while a single tree may pass through the hands of multiple
professional artists the stylistic differences between each artist are often only slightly
perceptible and it is in these subtleties that the beauty and depth of bonsai are found.
We have thus far established that our chosen medium must be living plant material
planted in a container of one sort or another it necessitates a time variable and will
necessarily change over the length of this variable and it requires design and maintenance
components that are cumulative and communally influenced. In summation, bonsai can be
defined as "container-grown, living plant material cumulatively and communally designed
and maintained over time to be viewed in snapshots that punctuate the material's total
lifespan." I contend that each of these components is paramount to the complete definition
of bonsai and that to remove any one of them is to collapse its meaning altogether.

2.2. Bonsai as art

Why should we really be concerned with the health (and ultimately the prevention
of death) of the plant material we use for bonsai? Is there any sort of moral argument to be
made for the prevention of damaging or ultimately destroying plants used for bonsai
creation?
Plants of course possess no nervous system capable of experiencing pain; however,
the difference between a live plant and a dead one is as obvious as that of the life and death
of any conscious creature. This is not to draw a moral equivalence between the killing of a
plant to say that of a primate but the obvious state of existence or non-existence is
indistinguishable between the two.
While one could certainly make the argument that any man-made extinction
whether purposeful or inadvertent, of a non-sentient life form such as a particular plant
specie, is morally reprehensible on a macro level to assign the same moral weight to the
destruction of an individual plant seems unfounded. This being the case, why should we be
concerned with the overall health of plants we use to create bonsai? If the goal is to create
the best possible design with any given tree why not simply bend, crack, and shape each
branch into the most interesting and aesthetically pleasing form possible regardless of
whether or not we ultimately risk killing the plant?
When we create a bonsai, we are constantly tasked with decisions aimed at
improving the aesthetic design of the tree removing foliage, creating deadwood, splitting
trunks, etc. If the goal is to create the most artistically and aesthetically pleasing design
why shouldn't we employ these techniques in full capacity to accomplish our end-game
results? These questions inevitably require us to take an in-depth look at the consideration
of bonsai as a form of art this can be a sometimes rather contentious subject but nonetheless
one that needs to be addressed if we are to answer above-mentioned questions.
In a larger context, the term art itself is one that carries much baggage. Not only is
the definition of art controversial in modern philosophy but whether or not the term even
merits definition or if defining art has any usefulness is still a matter of fierce debate in
academic circles. For the purpose of my argument here, I would like to forego this larger
debate and adopt a well-known stance on the definition of art that of Leo Tolstoy - in an
attempt to bolster this philosophical approach to bonsai.

"In order correctly to define art, it is necessary, first of all, to cease to

consider it as a means to pleasure and to consider it as one of the conditions
of human life." (Leo Tolstoy)

At the heart of Tolstoy's definition of art is the notion that for something to be
considered as "art" it necessarily must share the emotion or experience of the "artist" with
the observer or larger observing community a bridging of the human experience through
expression whether directly or indirectly transmitted, on a larger spectrum of fidelity. This
is not to suggest that any and all expression of emotion is necessarily art as such. Tolstoy
continues:

"So that by art, in the limited sense of the word, we do not mean all human
activity transmitting feelings but only that part which we for some reason
select from it and to which we attach special importance.” (Leo Tolstoy)

It is through this selective process that the artist seeks to elucidate and express a
specific element of the human condition and in doing so connects with the observer on an
experiential level. It is unnecessary for the feeling expressed to be "good," but rather the
full spectrum of human emotion and experience should be available for expression.
Tolstoy asserts that "the degree of the infectiousness of art depends on three
conditions: 1. On the greater or lesser individuality of the feeling transmitted; 2. On the
greater or lesser clearness with which the feeling is transmitted; 3. On the sincerity of the
artist, i.e., on the greater or lesser force with which the artist himself feels the emotion he
transmits." In Tolstoy's view, if any one of these three components is absent then the subject
matter in question is not art and must be relegated to counterfeit status. This is not to say
that each element must carry identical weight in every case. Rather they exist on a larger
spectrum but all three must be observed in some ratio to positively label something art.
Returning to our original assertion by Tolstoy, that "In order correctly to define
something as art, it is necessary, first of all, to cease to consider it as a means to pleasure
and to consider it as one of the conditions of human life.” Viewing it in this way we cannot
fail to observe that art is one of the means of intercourse between man and man," I
personally find this idea intriguing as it relates to bonsai. For many of us, our initial
involvement in bonsai is triggered and then positively exploded by a certain unexplainable
pleasure in working with or simply observing bonsai. The beauty of this expression using
plant material is that the human condition is not only expressed through a work of bonsai as
the artist chooses and designs it, but also by the bonsai itself as it constantly evolves and
changes through natural processes.
If the human condition can be defined as anything it is surely that change, suffering
and ultimately death are inevitable but that the desire to survive and potentially outlive
death in some fashion binds us on some larger transcendental level. In this way, bonsai as
living material seek the same outcome not on some conscious level of course, but in a
biological, evolutionary sense.
 Our genetic propensity to survive in our environment is no different than that of
plants we of course came to be in the same manner as plants through the process of
evolution by natural selection. In this, we as primates share with plants not only a genetic
lineage but also the same evolutionary desire to survive and potentially thrive. It is this
relationship that provides a deeper broader level of potential expression of Tolstoy's human
condition and which makes bonsai a beautifully powerful outlet for artistic communication.
This brings me back to my original line of questioning should we be concerned with
the long-term health (i.e. avoid the killing of) a tree used for bonsai if the goal is to create
the most artistically expressive design? I would argue that the answer to this question is an
emphatic "yes!" In creating bonsai, one could potentially argue that we are rather limited
expressively by the medium with which we are working. Plant material is, of course, living
and we are therefore constrained by the limitations of keeping that material alive during the
design process.
There are some incredibly innovative techniques that can be employed in creating
bonsai that seemingly defy common intuition i.e. any number of grafting practices, branch
and trunk splitting and major bending. Unlike a painter, though, who begins with a blank
canvas or a sculptor who starts with any number of malleable materials we as creators of
bonsai are more physically limited by the medium with which we work. One could most
certainly argue that a painter or sculptor is also limited by the physics of their chosen
medium; however, the ultimate risk, that of death, exists only in bonsai and is something of
which we all should be acutely and constantly aware.
These physical limitations of working with bonsai material should most certainly
not be viewed as the proverbial nail in the coffin in the consideration of bonsai as art. While
it may appear difficult to truly assign the term "art" to a given bonsai t is not so apparent
that bonsai in a larger context cannot be considered an art form in the truest sense of the
word's expression.
If we are to accept the scientific truth that we do share an evolutionary lineage with
living plants and that by extension we are capable of expressing a certain level of solidarity
with them consciously on our part and unconsciously on theirs) in our like goal to survive
then this is enough to suggest we ought to be conscious of the well-being of the plants we
use for Bonsai not because they can experience pain but because ultimately nonexistence is
the same for both of us.
Tolstoy's notion of art as expression between man and man is not only satisfied
through Bonsai it is expounded upon and increased in depth and scope through the added
layer of shared solidarity in the pursuit of survival and the potential to thrive. If we can add
to this potential while at the same time expressing the human condition in some broad or
specified sense through bonsai then I think we can successfully call Bonsai an art.
I often hear the argument that Bonsai is not an art or is somehow diminished by the
fact that it utilizes living plants as its medium meaning a given composition will inevitably
change form to some degree over time erasing or shifting the original intent of the initial
artist. While in some sense this is true, I would argue that this is a straw-man argument to
which I say 'So what?'
As I previously stated, Bonsai is the ultimate expression of solidarity between the
condition of man and the condition of nature it is a reminder that we do not exist apart from
nature, but rather that we are a part of it and ultimately face the same fate as the medium
with which we work. With this as the underlying backbone of the idea of Bonsai as art the
ego of each individual artist becomes arbitrary in the overall expression of each Bonsai.
 Rather, the effect each artist has on a given tree in its life as a Bonsai is only a
snapshot in time on the larger storyboard of its existence.
Tolstoy's expression of the human condition is not diminished by the constant
evolution of a Bonsai. It is heightened, as it expresses the ephemeral nature shared by artist
and medium. As each artist adds to the storyline of a Bonsai the result is an amalgam of
expression an odyssey of the shared human experience.

ACABEI ESTA PARTE