A Living Work of Art.BONSAI: March 2013

Mar 28, 2013

Mar 20, 2013

Bonsai on an operating table

A patient waiting for the operation.

The doctor performing an operation.

This is trident maple (唐楓[to-kaede], Acer buergerianum).

The very same tree on the jacket of Four Seasons of Bonsai.

Showy adaptation is one thing, "handing on the torch" is another.

Oops, it's a slip of the tongue.

Mar 18, 2013

Ai-chan Bonsai - Monument for Nothing

An art exhibition of AIDA Makoto

who is one of Japanese most talented contemporary artists,

Monument for Nothing is held at Mori Art Museum until March 31, 2013.

His works are apparently easy to understand,

but behind them are a deep insight and irony

about the Japanese society.

In Taki-no-e (滝の絵, Picture of Waterfall),

he combined an image of a waterfall

which is one of typical subjects of Japanese traditional paintings

with images of bi-shojo (美少女, beautiful young girl)

which can be seen everywhere in Japan.

Taki-no-e (滝の絵, Picture of Waterfall). 2007-2010.

Acrylic on canvas.

Ai-chan Bonsai is a series of his objets d'art

created in collaboration with KATO Ai.

Ai-chan Bonsai

Ai-chan Bonsai
(c) AIDA Makoto / KATO Ai / Mizuma Art Gallery

Ai-chan Bonsai

Ai-chan Bonsai:

Girls of the same features growing from one stem
remind me of AYANAMI Rei, a cloned, expendable pilot of Evangelion.

To those who think that museums and works of art should be
educational and moralistic,
and to those who do not understand that works of art reflect
the atmosphere of the times,
his works and this exhibition must seem highly provocative.

But visiting Monument for Nothing,
I was excited nearly for the first times in a recent few years
at an art exhibition.

I felt that entertainment, caricatures,
skills and energy as an artist to realize a concept,
adaptation of traditional paintings and all
were integrated in a higher dimension in his works.

AIDA Makoto: Monument for Nothing - Trailer:

AIDA Makoto: Monument for Nothing :
http://www.mori.art.museum/english/contents/aidamakoto_main/index.html

AIDA Makoto - facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/aidamakoto

AIDA Makoto - twitter:
https://twitter.com/makotoaida

Mar 16, 2013

Another shot of edible bonsai

A blog introducing edible bonsai by HIRAI Risa:
http://orinchan55.blog120.fc2.com/blog-entry-1213.html

Mar 14, 2013

Angular souvenirs

Some of the souvenirs I brought back from the sales area of Kokufu ten.

YAMAMORI Shiho (山もりしほ).

She is a Japanese female potter.
I like the rough, imposing appearance of these pots.
But they are not the only character of her works.

She baked such a pretty pot, too.

A fan-shaped pot by KATAOKA Mitsue (片岡美津江).

She is a wife of a Japanese famous potter, KATAOKA Reiho (片岡黎鳳).

You make think this design is avant-garde,

but a pot like this appeared in a book published more than 100 years ago.

Black pine in a fan-shaped pot.

From Horticulture at Home - Floriculture and Bonsai （家庭園芸　花卉と盆栽), 1905.

Nothing is new in bonsai.

Lastly, a round souvenir.

YAMAMORI Shiho (山もりしほ).

Mar 2, 2013

Edible bonsai

HIRAI Risa who is an artist and a student at Tama Art University
"baked" bonsai.

Actually, these are cookies with icing.

Her works will be on display at Gallery Tokyo Humanite
from March 11 to 16, 2013.

By the way, I am in charge of eating and growing, not cooking.

Spoon & Tamago blog introducing garden-bonsai:
http://www.spoon-tamago.com/2013/02/20/the-edible-art-of-risa-hirai/

DesignWorks blog introducing garden-bonsai:
http://designwork-s.com/article/332412935.html

DIGITAL DJ Network JAPAN website
introducing garden-bonsai:
http://japan.digitaldj-network.com/articles/10146.html

Gallery Tokyo Humanite map:
http://g-tokyohumanite.jp/contact.html

Mar 1, 2013

Closed days of the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum in March 2013

March 2013, the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum is closed on:

7(Thu),
13(Wed),
14(Thu),
21(Thu),
28(Thu).

On Thursdays, nurseries in the Omiya Bonsai Village are closed, too.