There's deadwood and then there's deadwood. This photo is from Francois Jeker's website. Judging from the bark and the leaves, I'd guess this is a Yew. Probably European (Taxus baccata).
Dick Matthews wrote this in the comments on a post from a few days ago (from my personal facebook feed). “Sometime I think that in a bizarre sort of way, bonsai is evolving into the sensationalism of dead wood. The more bizarre looking the dead wood, the more it represents the age of a bonsai, but I don’t think that the dead wood should be the central theme and eye-catcher of a bonsai.”
It’s always good to read comments that are thought provoking, and this one qualifies. I won’t say more; I’d rather read what you have to say.
Francois Jeker’s illustrations on natural aging of deadwood. Originally from Bonsai Today issue 103. All remaining back issues of Bonsai Today are now 50% off.
The cover of Francois new book aptly illustrates his skill with deadwood, as does the inside of the book. Today is the last day of our 25% off Book Sale at Stone Lantern.
A lot less deadwood on this pine. From Francois' website.
What do you think? Does the deadwood enhance or distract from this tree?
Power carving tools are now the standard when it comes to deadwood. This photo is also from Bonsai Today issue 103. That's Francois' finger.
Francois’ three excellent English language bonsai books (another reminder; our 25% off Book Sale ends tonight at 11:59pm EDT).
I love deadwood (and by the way … all of Francois’s books are EXCELLENT and unusual in his discussions of aesthetics … deadwood book has a lot of technique and a bit more difficult to read than the previous works, but ALL of his books are essential if you want to advance your work .. nuf said)
I think that dead wood can bring a ho-hum tree up a notch or two to get it more attention and beauty (in my eyes) I do not think that dead wood is required for great bonsai (though I think the trend IS going that way … like it or not) There will always be spectacular trees that do not have deadwood and those that do have it. This is where one needs to know art and the aesthetics books by Jeker will surely get you moving in the right direction.
When I look at classical prints containing penjing or bonsai and consider the thousands of bonsai trees I’ve seen in person, in photo prints, and on websites worldwide, and then compare those images with the more recent bonsai and photos of bonsai, it seems that there is an undue emphasis on the “deadness” of dead wood rather and an understatement of the living element of bonsai. Added to that observation is what appears to be a “competition” of sorts that the bonsai artists are trying to out do one another in their emphasis on the most contorted looking deadwood possible that they can include. At the same time, I can appreciate the inclusion of deadwood in bonsai for its aesthetic quality. Deadwood represents the struggle between a living entity (the tree) and powerful forces of nature which threaten its life and in that struggle there is also a pensive kind of beauty. Yet the emphasis on that which is vibrant and living far outweighs that which is lifeless and dead, and if bonsai is representative of that which exists in nature, then it too needs to place its emphasis on that which is living and not the dead. In the naturally occurring struggle between life and death that surround us, it is that which is alive which draws our attention as it continues in its battle to survive. That represents the dynamic quality of nature which appeals to us because we too are alive and struggle to survive. That which is dead can only represent a static nature that is unchanging and deteriorating and which will eventually no longer exist. In a way, it is and aesthetic philosophy, if you will, the Zen of Bonsai.
I believe the excessive emphasis on deadwood began with Kimura, and now everyone seems to be trying to outdo him. I think deadwood should accent an already excellent bonsai, not be the main focus – the focus should be the tree (just my opinion.)
I enjoy a certain amount of deadwood on a bonsai, but it seems to me that the emphasis is becoming more and more on how the artist carves the deadwood, not on natural occurrences of deadwood. Bonsai shouldn’t become a carving contest!