Bunjin (aka Literati), a style you don't see too much in the West. I think it's difficult to do bunjin properly. It defies our tendency to fill up space. Adding rather than subtracting, where subtracting all the way down to bare bones seems to be one of the keys. There's much more, but I'm not that versed in the topic, so we'll leave it at that
This is the third consecutive day of our virtual visit to Michael Hagedorn’s Crataegus Bonsai. Today it’s some pines in Michael’s portfolio that caught my eye.
Though it started unintentionally, there’s a progression based on bunjin that evolved while this post was taking shape. Or more accurately, a progression on what I take to be bunjin, which is an open question.
FOUR SPRING SPECIALS
25% OFF BONSAI WIRE FOR 3 OR MORE ROLLS
35% OFF ROSHI BONSAI TOOLS
25% OFF BONSAI FERTILIZERS
35% OFF 2 OR MORE BONSAI AESTHETICS TOOLS
You might call this one bunjin. It has that certain spare elegance
I don't think I'd call this bunjin, but it does share some qualities
Ditto
Definitely not Bunjin. Too short and stout, but there's still some of the bunjin-like naturalness that might defy ordinary bonsai convention
I don't know what you'd call this one. Maybe unusual will have to do.
"Oh what tangled webs we weave."
Speaking of Literati (another word for bunjin)…
…this book has it!