What are the specification standards for bonsai art?

Some years ago, when Chinese bonsai specifications were rapidly developing toward the two extremes of "extra-large", "super-giant" and "ultra-miniature", Mr. Naiweng pointed out in a timely manner that tree bonsai should have "a certain sense of proportion" in their specifications, "if too large, it becomes merely planting a tree; if too small, it cannot express the beautiful posture of the potted tree." Mr. Naiweng's incisive exposition is full of dialectical philosophical thought, is scientific and artistic true insight, and is a dose of cooling medicine for overheated minds.

Now, regarding the question of bonsai specifications, the bonsai world is paying increasing attention, and the phenomenon of polarization has somewhat diminished. However, due to differences in understanding, unified national bonsai specifications have been slow to appear; there are still many people who favor large and extra-large tree bonsai; in exhibitions and competitions, quality is still often judged by size, and the natural form of the tree stump is substituted for the author's level of skill; the situation of indiscriminately digging up large trees in society and destroying mountain forest vegetation is also relatively serious. Therefore, we must carry on the aspirations of our predecessors, deeply explore the theoretical basis of bonsai specifications, and further raise people's level of understanding.

The question of bonsai specifications may on the surface seem to be merely a question of form, but in fact it concerns the essential nature of bonsai. Bonsai is a living ornamental art object; it is "natural" scenery within a pot, a "garden" landscape on a table; "seeing the large from the small" and "shrinking a dragon into an inch" are its artistic expressive characteristics; being easy to cultivate and manage, easy to view at any time, and easy to move and place are its basic elements. All of these show that bonsai specifications can be neither too large nor too small. The ancients said: the specification of bonsai is best at about one chi, able to be placed on a table. This is an extremely reasonable and extremely correct view. Bonsai that obviously do not conform to the essence and characteristics of bonsai are a mistaken path in the development of bonsai. In order to understand this question deeply, let us further study and explore it separately from the aspects of philosophy, science, aesthetics, and art:

First, from a philosophical perspective, when things reach an extreme, they must reverse. "Extra-large", "super-giant" and "ultra-miniature" bonsai are precisely two extreme phenomena of unrestricted development, and necessarily cannot work. Lenin said: if truth goes one step further, it becomes error. Confucius advocated the doctrine of the mean, of neither leaning to one side nor the other and being just right, as the highest realm.

Second, from a biological perspective, "ultra-miniature bonsai" are difficult to cultivate and manage. When the soil is tiny, nutrients are lacking, which is not conducive to tree growth; when the pot is tiny, water is insufficient, and it will dry up as soon as it is exposed to the sun. Most fine-leafed tree species are sun-loving, and not exposing them to the sun will not do either; if the bonsai is buried in a pile of sand and soaked in a water pool all day, then viewing is hindered.

Third, from an aesthetic perspective, "ultra-miniature bonsai" lack beautiful posture and have little ornamental value. If a tree is too tiny, it is impossible for it to have pleasing roots, trunks, leaves, flowers, and fruit; it is also impossible for it to display stirring momentum and charm; still less can it express the vicissitudes of nature and the extraordinary artistic conception of social life.

Fourth, from an artistic perspective, "extra-large tree-stump bonsai" and "super-giant landscape bonsai" deviate from the essence and functional characteristics of bonsai. Bonsai is a human-made, artistically transformed "natural" image, whereas large trees in nature are forms created by nature itself, and the latter does not belong to the category of art. Transplanting a naturally large tree into a specially made large pot to serve as a bonsai, using a large tree to express a "large tree", truly has no art to speak of. Accepting this kind of bonsai is a distortion of the essence of bonsai; "super-giant landscape bonsai" likewise does not conform to the characteristic nature of bonsai of "seeing the large from the small", and in essence belongs to outdoor rockeries and other garden scenery, completely departing from the category of bonsai.

Finally, let us discuss the relationship between bonsai and bonsai exhibition and evaluation work.

Exhibition and evaluation work is the baton and catalyst that promotes the formation of bonsai specifications and styles. It must adapt to the needs of the healthy development of the bonsai cause.

When exhibiting and evaluating bonsai, the specifications of bonsai should be strictly limited, and evaluations should be classified by category; quality should not be judged by size; emphasis should be placed on evaluating the author's level of skill, and the natural form of the tree stump should not be substituted for the author's level of skill.

In fact, obtaining stump material of beautiful form is a matter of opportunity; in the past, @#@120@#@ of award winners were not all determined by level of skill. Only being able to see the large from the small is true ability and a high level; only being able to transform the inferior into the excellent and the mediocre into the marvelous can one be called an artist.