Bonsai and the Art of Display Eva Johnson
Made possible by the Scott & Ina McNichols Undergraduate Research Award
Table of Contents Bonsai and Display Commercial Display
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Internal Design Factors Line Proportion Balance External Design Factors Materiality Route
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Example Display Display Justification Display Construction
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Acknowledgements Works Cited
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Bonsai and Display Bonsai are trees cultivated in pots on a scale smaller than their natural limits. The art form reflects nature idealized, using careful control of the tree’s care, like watering, fertilizing, and pruning, to create a small, refined piece from a genetically unaltered specimen (“Definition and Meaning,” n.d.). Adapted from the Chinese art Penjing, around 1200 BC, bonsai was formalized as a crafted art form during Japan’s Edo period (1603-1868)(Baran, 2019). The art was brought to the United States partially through U.S. forces returning from Japan following World War II. It has been gaining popularity in the United States since, aided by traveling artists, clubs, and thousands of publications on every aspect of the topic (Baran, 2019).
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Figure 1. A bonsai tree and accent plant on display at the Bonsai Societies of Florida 2019 Convention.
A display may be defined as a self-contained selection of intentionally grouped objects for viewing. In bonsai, each display may be as simple as one tree and its pot or more complex than several trees sharing a stand, accent plants, and accessories. Like in a museum or showroom, exhibitions of bonsai are made up of an interrelated collection of displays. Whether in shows, private collections, competitions, or museums, bonsai are pieces of living art that are impacted by the surroundings they are presented in. Trees are rarely seen without context, and therefore modern bonsai display is an art form in itself. In this extension, the context created by bonsai display is tightly controlled. Display may define the space of observation by delineating extents for viewing. Including accessories or a stand for the pot to rest on gives the piece an intentional zone to reside within. This intentional space for display also controls the viewers’ experience. It defines a viewing angle, controlling what elements of the piece are emphasized or minimized by showcasing or obscuring parts of the design, overall controlling what is most prominently perceived by the viewer. For this reason, display matters a great deal. It creates context for the tree’s viewing, highlights focal points, and controls the viewer’s experience.
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Commercial Display
Retail merchandising controls user perceptions to achieve similar impacts as bonsai display.
Figure 2. This Rolex storefront display in the Orlando Mall illustrates key similarities between bonsai display and retail display.
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In this section of a Rolex storefront, techniques similar to bonsai display are showcasing three watches. The space for viewing the watches is implied by the extents of the green background. The proper viewing angle is defined by the watch’s placement with faces forward to the pane of glass. Each watch has been placed on a stand and grouped together under one shared implied setting.
This display is also an example of retail merchandising crafting consumer perceptions. In bonsai the tree on display may be styled like others, but is by nature unique. By creating a specific surrounding for the tree, the unique aspects of it are amplified. In retail settings, displaying a limited number of objects enhances user perception of goods. The consumer perception of a single piece of one type on display is that the object is handcrafted or oneof –a-kind, increasing demand through perceived scarcity (Kopec 2012). In products, unlike bonsai, the piece may be handcrafted or mass-produced, so giving the consumer cues based on the surroundings is more important in display. Retail design applies the perception of uniqueness, along with the consumer’s desire for choice, by displaying several choices for related products, but in limited supply (Ebster & Garaus 2015). Displaying products in this manner satisfies consumers who want to have options to select from, without overwhelming them with too many options. It also induces the perception of limited supplies, encouraging purchases while the product is still in stock. In this way, some aspects of retail design display practices overlap with bonsai display. This booklet will expand on the existing parallel between limited-supply retail displays and bonsai display to lay out a design framework distilled from bonsai design that will inform commercial display techniques. The framework is in the format of design implications, which are actionable design guidelines established from conclusions drawn from observations.
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Internal Design Factors Internal design factors are design fundamentals that are present within one display that impact how the display is perceived. These design factors can be applied to display practices outside of bonsai to alter viewer perceptions of goods. The prominent internal design factors outlined here are line, proportion, and balance.
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Line Line is an element of design and a design factor related to a directional element that is explicitly or implicitly carried through a work (Fullmer, 2012). In art, line is used to perceive movement, geometry, and even suggest dominant forms. Line in bonsai typically references the dominant directional element, usually a tree’s trunk, which dictates how the tree is best showcased.
Figure 3. In this display, line has guided the artist to select a stand that demonstrates curvilinear and rectilinear elements and an accent plant that imitates the curving line of the main tree.
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Curved details are dominant in this piece. The main tree’s trunk follows several gentle curves, which is imitated in the arch of the primary stand, the coils in the accent plant’s trunk, and the organic lines of the accent stand. Similarly, a straight vertical line can be formed between the base of the main tree and its apex. This verticality is present again in the main tree’s stand and the accent plant’s first vertical growth. The repetition of line types allows the pieces to share the same space in a logical way.
Figure 4. An informal display at the Portland Japanese Garden uses line to direct the viewers' eye within the display.
Design Implications • Repeat line types throughout the display to create intentional unity. • Utilize angles in objects, the display, or in implied relationships to guide the viewer’s eye from one object to the next. In display, line acts as a director (Fullmer, 2012). The viewer’s eye follows lines, whether implicit or expressed, through the piece as a whole. In this informal display the implicit lines that define the major directions for each tree interact with one another. The lines of the trees restrict viewing, guiding the eye inward and around the pieces, back toward one another without leaving any direction unresolved. As a result, the viewer is encouraged to linger. The eye comes back to each piece to examine it further because it relates back to the previous tree.
• Intentionally select items to display that either use the same line type as the display, to coordinate and create unity, or a different line type, to clash and create emphasis.
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Proportion Proportion is a principle of art that is a reference to the relative size and scale of the elements in a design (Fullmer, 2012). When comparing objects or elements in perceived size, the object’s proportions are being assessed. Proportions in bonsai are necessarily applied to give a tree the implied age that is a hallmark of the art form. A thick trunk that tapers down the taller it gets gives the impression one is looking up into a tree. Branches taper in the same way, indicating the thicker growth at the trunk of the tree is older than the thinner growth at the tips. Overall, in the full silhouette of the tree, proportion indicates the primary emphasis of the tree to the viewer.
In this tree, one-third of the tree’s visual mass is trunk, two-thirds is foliage. The viewer consequently interprets this larger visual mass of foliage as an indicator of a lush and well developed tree. The proportions of the whole display are also pleasing when emphasizing the main element. The stand makes up one-third of the composition. This smaller piece complements the design with its twisting organic lines, but the careful proportions allow the majority of the emphasis to go toward the bonsai.
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Figure 5. The proportions of this bonsai and its stand help emphasize the health and age of the tree.
Tokonoma are beautiful examples of proportion as the starting point of display. This gyo intermediate style tokonoma is intended for less formal displays, as indicated by some natural undulation left in the otherwise uniform unfinished wood post (“Tokonoma Displays,” n.d.). The divisions in this display are made proportionally and intentionally. They present order and relationships between the pieces. One-third of the display is held for the accent piece, two-thirds for the main tree and its components. Trim thicknesses, like around the sliding cabinet doors, represent about half of the major structural thicknesses, like the trunk that serves as the structural focal point. These half and third proportional relationships are then imitated in the objects selected for display. The tree and stand together are about one-half of the total space height. The scroll is placed to the right half of the space, the tree to the left half. In its own third of the space, the accent plant is to the right of center. Throughout the display, pieces have been selected that are broader than they are tall, repeating the squat proportions of the tree to continue unity.
Figure 7. In a tokonoma display at Omiya Bonsai Museum, a large tree's proportions are supported by an accent plant and scroll.
In this similar tokonoma, proportion is used for emphasis. Half of the overall space is dedicated to this massive tree and stand, where the remaining half is divided into thirds for accent pieces. The items selected for accents share the tree’s longer proportions, where height is greater than width. Applying proportional constraints to the piece allow the tree to remain a powerful focal point while still maintaining the tightly controlled style of this type of tokonoma.
Design Implications • Select objects to display that complement one another’s proportions. Figure 6. In this tokonoma, a azalea's proportions are supported by a scroll, ceramic piece, and the proportions of the tokonoma's construction.
• Dedicate a greater proportion of visual mass for the objects displayed.
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Balance Balance is a principle of art that relates the elements of a piece in their colors, sizes, and textures in relative visual stability (“Understanding Formal Analysis,� n.d.). In bonsai, balance must account for the innate movement and directionality of many trees. It also manages the perceived emphasis of colors and textures in trees and display environments. Balance is use to evaluate the distribution of visual weight across a tree’s composition.
This cypress is an example of a piece that achieves balance. With a wide triangular base, the tree feels settled into the space. A heavier base is balanced by the brighter, larger foliage. If divided vertically down the center of the tree, the masses on either side of the division would appear about equal, a design that would be considered symmetrically balanced (Fullmer, 2012). These factors result in a composition that appears stable.
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Figure 8. Through symmetrical balance, this cypress appears steady and grounded.
Not every tree can rely on the symmetrical balance, however. That is where balance in composition becomes more important. This piece centers on a tree that on its own does not appear stable. The tree has movement in its trunk that has more visual weight to the left. To complement and balance that weight, the pot has a bend that leaves more material to the right. The visual mass of this expanse of white counters the weight of foliage, but is still requires more. The jita, the wooden slab, then comes into play. The mass of the wooden piece is angles in a way that extends the bend of the tree, forming the same wide-base triangle that made the cypress composition so balanced, stable, and comfortable.
Figure 9. The tree, its pot, stand, and jita work together to create an asymmetrically balanced composition. Figure 10. As a display, balance is used between the three primary elements to create a full composition with an even visual weight.
In display, the composition’s defined space broadens and more elements come together to form a balanced piece. In this display, a receding, darker tree with high contrast scrubbed bark and dark foliage has dynamic trunk movement. To balance the active line and heavy visual mass of this dark tree, small, light, lower contrast, pieces complement the piece. Their coloration makes them advance in the visual space and (Fullmer, 2012). The movement also serves to balance the composition. The dramatic swoop of the main tree is made more comfortable by the stoic dominant vertical line of the smaller shohin tree. What further balances this display is the continuation of a line of the silhouette to the shohin, and continued again between the shohin and accent plant, creating a series of triangles that emphasize the overall stability of the base.
Design Implications • Evaluate objects on display for their perceived visual weight, based on color, texture, and scale compared to one another. • Utilize asymmetrical balance of goods for a dynamic display, or symmetrical balance for a stoic display.
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External Design Factors External design factors are design fundamentals applied outside of a single display. They impact the perception of displays by altering the environment the displays are placed in, either by changing how the display is experienced or by changing the format of the experience. The two important external design factors emphasized here are route and materiality. Both impact the way a design is perceived, one by deciding what is or is not seen, and the other by dictating the surroundings the display will be seen in.
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Materiality Materiality is the intentional consideration of materials used in a space. Materiality alters perception in many ways, as it dictates the surroundings of a display. It can create a neutral palette for the art and materials of the pieces, or defy them entirely.
Figure 11. The materials used at Bonsai Mirai blend the exhibition of trees in progress with the Pacific Northwest setting.
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International Bonsai Mirai in Portland prioritized materiality when the decision was made to treat the entirety of the working nursery as a display on progression in bonsai. A neutral, cohesive palette allows for the trees to be focal points in the outdoor space. Wood finishes have all been harmonized so that none stands in contrast with another. The locally sourced materials were intentionally chosen to blend with the natural surroundings. Dark, matte metal was selected so a sheen would not distract viewers from the natural elements. Even more than the other materials in this space, the metal was selected to disappear into the surroundings. Dark gray gravel is a contrast from the lightly finished wood and shares many of the same purposes as the matte metal. Together, these selections ensure the trees displayed are the primary focus. The light reddish hue of the wood acts as a complementary color to the green, emphasizing the lushness of the space. Distracting elements like metal fixtures have been minimized to allow more attention for the trees. Harmony with the surroundings further minimizes distractions. The intent of the space, to showcase working trees, is successfully aided by the materials selected for the overall space.
Figure 12. For the Bonsai Societies of Florida exhibit, display materials were selected to best showcase the displays through contrast.
Design Implications In an exhibit, materiality is also used to stage pieces. To display the Bonsai Societies of Florida’s show, the choice was made to use contrast to best showcase the displays. Blue backdrops provide contrast to many of the frequent elements: brown trunks, green foliage, white deadwood, and a wide variation of flower colors. The white cloth tables are stark, but are almost as equally unlikely to mask those important elements. In contrast to Bonsai Mirai, the materials used here were not chosen to blend. They were chosen to emphasize pieces through contrast.
• Establish a goal of complementing or contrasting with the objects to be displayed in order to select the most appropriate materials for display components.
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Route The consideration of route is the anticipation of the path being taken by the viewer. Route alters what one perceives by altering what is hidden or revealed to the viewer. Planning or knowing the way users will move through a space allows for the planning of views and the intentional framing of focal points.
Figure 13. A plan view sketch illustrates Taisho-en Bonsai Nursery's front entry layout, including a detail illustration of the individual display components.
Taisho-en Bonsai Nursery accounted for route by expanding the definition of viewer for the space. Taking into account the active street in front of the nursery, a glass wall was installed to reveal to passersby a series of large, striking bonsai trees. The intent of this space was to reveal the nursery to the public. The decision to place this wall along the pre-established pedestrian route ensured success in this goal.
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Figure 14. Facing a road and sidewalk, Taisho-en Bonsai Nursery uses a glass wall and dramatic trees to draw users into the space.
Figure 15. The entry courtyard at Shunka-en uses a low wall to screen views of some of the oldest, most impressive specimens in the garden. Figure 16. A plan view of the courtyard shows the circulation path from the main entry gate to the courtyard itself.
Shunka-en Bonsai Museum similarly used route to orient viewers. Upon entering the museum, a central square of bonsai sits immediately in front of the viewer, partially hidden by a low wall. Knowing users would be entering through a high, solid wall at a doorway, the placement of one massive tree in the center of this square is immediately framed as a primary focal point, and serves as a point of interest to draw a person into the space. Upon entering the square, the numerous other trees that had been previously hidden can now be viewed against the backdrop of the wall in a circle around the original focal point. The intentional planning of focal points was made possible by the expectation of a route for users in the space.
Design Implications • Establish how the customer will approach the display in order to identify where to orient focal points. • Utilize route planning to screen views and create a sense of discovery when moving through the space.
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Example Display Expanding on existing retail merchandising practices, this booklet has explored how bonsai display can inform product display techniques to form a more artistically cohesive display for consumers. The design implications have been applied in the creation of this example display piece to showcase this framework in action.
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Display Justification Both internal and external design factors were applied to the design of this example display.
Line
• Strong rectilinear lines in the display piece imitate the geometric lines of the pieces on display. Each item features one organic curve, which is emphasized by the contrast to the rectilinear forms of the display. • The arrangement of the items reflects guiding lines between each piece at the primary viewing angles. Following the implied lines of the displayed objects guides the eye from one piece to the next.
Proportion
• Though the lower portion of the display is dark and heavy, the upper portion is proportionally larger and more complex, drawing attention to the objects on display. • Each object is of a different size from the other, and there is variety in the visual mass, due to the variety in materials used.
Balance
• The narrow-neck vase has the largest visual weight, as the object is opaque and dark. The third low, wide bowl has the second greatest visual weight, as it is large and is of a translucent material. The bronze and glass vase, though the largest, has the lightest visual weight due to the large proportion of the form being transparent glass. The remaining bronze portion is proportionally smaller than the other two pieces displayed. • These pieces are arranged asymmetrically, with the two lighter pieces arranged to balance the visual weight of the primary piece in each view.
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Figures 17, 18, 19, 20. The example display piece has been rendered in Revit to illustrate what the piece would look like if viewed from each side.
Materiality
• This display piece is meant to emphasize the pieces on display through contrast with the objects. The wood and linen materials of the display are in stark contrast with the glass and metal. The display piece stands apart from the environment of gypsum board walls and ceiling elements, and the concrete floor, but coordinates with this environment by using neutral colors that allow for the displayed objects to stand out.
Route
• The route of this space is established so that each side of the display will be viewed. To make use of this opportunity, users are presented with views that emphasize each piece differently on each side by selectively screening some items from view.
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1' - 2 1/4" 0' - 0 3/4"
3' - 4 1/2" 0' - 3" 2' - 6" 0' - 3"
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Display Construction
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Figure 21. Elevations display dimensions for the example display piece.
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2' - 9"
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Figure 22. Elevations display relative proportions and placements of example pieces in the example display.
This piece uses dimensions informed by Architectural Graphic Standards by Ramsey and Sleeper and Human Dimensions & Interior Space by Panero and Zelnik. According to Panero and Zelnik (1979), the height dedicated to display in this piece is accessible for the 95th percentile of men and the 5th percentile of women, by eye height (p. 198). The 3’-1 1/2” depth of the piece is close to the standard 3’-0” merchandise case for retail stores (Panero & Zelnik, 1979, p. 202). The 5’- 0” width of the piece fits within casework modules, which range from 1’-0” to 5’-0” (Ramsey & Sleeper, 1989).
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Acknowledgements Funded by the Scott and Ina McNichols Undergraduate Research Award With support from Stephanie Sickler With thanks to the following for access to exhibits, gardens, and nurseries: • Bonsai Societies of Florida and exhibitors for the 2019 Annual Convention • International Bonsai Mirai, Portland, Oregon and owner Ryan Neil • Omiya Bonsai Art Muesum, Saitama, Japan • Manseien Bonsai Nursery, Saitama, Japan • Tojuen Bonsai Nursery, Saitama, Japan • Seikouen Bonsai Nursery, Saitama, Japan • Kyukaen Bonsai Nursery, Saitama, Japan • Fuyoen Bonsai Nursery, Saitama, Japan • Shoutouen Bonsai Nursery, Saitama, Japan • Okochi Sanso Villa, Kyoto, Japan • Taishoen Bonsai Nursery, Shizuoka, Japan and owner Taiga Urushibata • Shunkaen Bonsai Museum, Tokyo, Japan
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Works Cited Baran, R. J. (2019). Bonsai Timeline, For History of Bonsai. Retrieved from http://www.magiminiland.org/BigPicture/ Timeline.html. Bonsai Empire. (n.d.). Definition and Meaning. Retrieved from https://www.bonsaiempire.com/origin/what-is-bonsai. Bonsai Empire. (n.d.) Tokonoma Displays. Retrieved from https://www.bonsaiempire.com/blog/tokonoma-displays. Ebster, C. and Garaus, M. (2015.) Store Design and Visual Merchandising (2nd Edition). New York: Business Expert Press. Fullmer, D. L. (2012). Design Basics. New York: Fairchild Books. Kopec, D. (2012). Environmental Psychology for Design. New York: Fairchild Books. Long, C.L. (1971). An Informal History of Bonsai, Arnoldia 31(5): 261-273. The National Bonsai Foundation. (n.d.). Museum Collections. Retrieved from https://www.bonsai-nbf.org/collections. Panero, J. & Zelnik, M. (1979). Human Dimensions & Interior Space: A Sourcebook of Design Reference Standards. New York: Watson-Guptill Publications. Ramsey, C. G. and Sleeper, H. R. (1989). Architectural Graphic Standards (7th ed.). New York: John Wiley & Sons. Understanding Formal Analysis: Principles of Design [PDF file]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://getty.edu/education/ teachers/building_lessons/principles_design.pdf.
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