A Minimal and Progressive Plant

This is a blog about Bonsai.

Words of an Italian Bonsai Professional

Posted on 3:51 by Harutomo | 0 コメント

Giovanni Genotti is a professional bonsai designer who belongs to Colleggio Nazionale Istruttori Bonsai e Suisek. Here is the his opinion and observation about bonsai.

>what was the trigger that brought you into bonsai world?

>>when I was 17 years old, I saw a calendar came from Japan. There were some pictures of bonsai on it and they were quite impressive. Also, in a hospital, I saw a very tiny plat. And I was totally attracted by it. But I did not expect this came from Japan, I thought this was Chinese stuff. Originally, since I was a kid, I would love plats and that was the only my interest. I remember that I used to hung around forest to see plats.


>how did you develop your skills and knowledge?

>>At the beginning, I had a really hard time. First of all, I did not know even the word bonsai. So I made many mistakes and mistakes again. The problem was nobody and nothing was familiar with it and helpful. But then I met a guy from Trino who had documents from Britain about bonsai. So basically we started to work together to develop our own skills and knowledge. Gradually our bonsai had started to look like real Japanese ones. My efforts reached to go to school and seminars. I have learned from a Japanese professional Mr. Kimura. What we learned from real professional from Japan was so important.


>how do you observe current bonsai world in Italy?

>>There are generally both negative and positive things that I have to say. Positive thing is that bonsai is now widespread and people have developed lots of activities about bonsai, while many years ago, bonsai was regarded as something eccentric and a thing for not everyone.
The negative thing is that it is very expensive to buy bonsai made in Japan. So most of them sold in Italy are from China. If we had enough knowledge and avoided commercialism about bonsai, this might have not happened. Also, currently, many people are trying to go more artistic with bonsai in order to express themselves. I believe that bonsai should be a very natural thing with the idea that we understand bonsai itself's beauty.


>if you know any, please tell about current bonsai in Japan and your opinion toward it.

>>For us, if we say "bonsai," it means bonsai made in Japan. In this sense, I have doubt somehow. Like I said the price is too high. When I went to Japan and I noticed that at the point of a production company which sells complete bonsai, it is already expensive. But how can I understand that they produce 200 thousands of bonsai as a "bonsai." These incomplete bonsai plants are also regarded as bonsai "made in Japan," when they are exported to Italy.

From Design Museum La Triennale di Milano

Posted on 3:24 by Harutomo | 0 コメント

A design covers another design. This possibility and idea are quite potential in all kinds of fields. What is the meaning of designing bonsai plats which are already done with a "design?" For example, "this bonsai is designed by a famous Japanese guy" but, thatarchitecture is designed by piano design SMEG." The hint is that bonsai as a product and even as a design should be treated as a special thing.




Smeg and architectural studio PIANO DESIGN, have created a new way of caring for houseplants: the Home Garden. Clean, essential lines combine with elegant materials like toughened glass and steel to give full visibility of the potted plants kept inside. Designed as a furnishing accessory and "activity center", the Home Garden is both useful and beautiful.
When we put our heads together to think of an exciting new addition to Smeg's household range, a domestic greenhouse was the natural choice. As a home for plants, a greenhouse immediately ties in with the rest of Smeg's products for the home. The link is further reflected by the Home Garden's design in the shape of a house with roof and two side entrances. We have thought of the Home Garden as a living painting, an intelligent furnishing with which to decorate the house. The Home Garden provides shelter for plants, allowing them to thrive in homes that do not have an outside space. It is a home within a home where the plants are the protagonists. The discreet stainless steel frame with clear glass panels allow unimpeded views of the greenery inside, at all times and from all angles. The technology used ensures healthy plant growth while the design enhances their beauty nature and encourages our fascination with nature. From the start, the Home Garden was conceived as a simple, easy-to-use object for those who wish to be able to look after their " garden under glass" every day of the year. Plants and flowers give boundless pleasurebut in return demand lots of love, care and attention. In bringing together both these aspects-relaxing pleasure and tender care- the Home Garden adds more than a touch of interest and enjoyment to life.
(http://www.smeghomegarden.com/English/HomeUk.htm)

The introduction of Bonsai to Italy -Adolfo Farsari-

Posted on 22:15 by Harutomo | 0 コメント


While bonsai has widespread and become a well-known thing in Italy, it is normal to think when and what is the original trigger that bonsai was introduced to Italy. It actually dates back to the 1880s, about 130 years ago with a guy called Adolfo Farsari.

(The following sentences are cited from "Adolfo Farsari – The Man Who Shot Old Japan" http://quazen.com/arts/photography/adolfo-farsari-the-man-who-shot-old-japan/#ixzz0p8XjIIkU")
In the 1880s at a time when most Europeans were denied access to the Japanese interior an Italian photographer managed to capture many images of Old Japan. These were then beautifully and realistically hand painted and serve as a remarkable record of a world long since disappeared.
Adolfo Farsari was very much a commercial photographer and his compositions were designed to be sold mostly to foreign visitors to Japan. His landscapes often picture what we might call a slightly enhanced version – even romanticized – of Japan but were very highly regarded at the time. Something of a libertarian, Farsari had joined the American Civil War as he was a fervent abolitionist and his photographs reflect his ideas of equality – women are portrayed as often as men and not in subservient positions. For many people who had never been to Japan his images would shape their ideas of the country – and to some degree they would also contribute to the ways in which the Japanese regarded themselves.

Bonsai Communities -Effective Smalls get Big -

Posted on 6:56 by Harutomo | 0 コメント

As I introduced bonsai schools and magazines in Italy, people in this country are really keen to improve their bonsai skills or to deepen their knowledge of bonsai. Then, such people have got action.
There are more than 200 bonsai clubs where people get together and teach each other about bonsai, organizing a community. Although they are highly concentrated in Northern Italy, recently Central and Southern areas have grown the number.
The avarage number of member in each is community is about 20-30. Members get together two or three times in a month, bringing and showing their own bonsai in order to exchange opinions and information they have and instructors give advice. They organize an exhibition by themselves and award an most excellent bonsai. Also, in each region, clubs get together and hold a bonsai festival and competition, inviting not only Italian professionals but also Japanese professional from Japan.

The followings are representative of bonsai clubs in Italy.


Piemonte Lombrdia Coordinamento


Emilia Romagna Coordinamento


Triveneto Cooridinamento



UNIONI BONSAI ITALIANI> http://www.ubibonsai.it/
This organization covers the whole areas in Italy. In 1995, three bonsai groups united each other and this organization was born. So far, 86 groups has joined. Their main activities include exchanging information, competition, publishing magazines and so on.

Media -To all the bonsai fans-

Posted on 6:28 by Harutomo | 0 コメント





How people who are into bonsai get useful infornation about bonsai? There are some ways as we can imagine such as TV, internet, schools and so on. Of all, magazines are the most reliable and easy to get access for every kind of people. In Italy, there is a number of magazines which specialized in only bonsai. The following two magazines are most well-known and sold in this country.


1)
publisher: UBI (Unioni Bonsai Italiani )
pages:A4, 56pages 4 times in a year
number of publishing:1,800

2)
publisher:Crespi Editori
pages:A4, 70~80pages, every 2 manths
year of foundation:1990年
price:€6.0、annual subscription €32.50

Bonsai Schools in Italy -Initiative Japanese-

Posted on 7:42 by Harutomo | 0 コメント

Università del Bonsai

Professional Japanese bonsai designers have been invited to bonsai schools in Italy such as
Hideo Suzuki in La Scuola D’arte Bonsai,
Masahiko Kimura and Kunio Kobayashi in Universita’ Del Bonsai.

<La Scuola D’arte Bonsa> www.scuolabonsai.it
The main instructor, Hideo Suzuki, regularly visits since 1991 and give lectures. The course consists of four levels: introduction, intermediate, advanced and professional. One course includes four sessions and in total, it comes to sixteen sessions. In very spring and fall, one session is completed, meaning one course is done for two years. Students have to take exams in every end of corse. In order to finish all the coursed, it takes eight years.

<Universita’ Del Bonsai> www.crespibonsai.com
Founded in 1991, this school is managed by Crispi Bonsai. Threre are three courses: level 1 to level 3. In order to finish one level, it takes 48 hours, devided in four sessions. It takes three years in order to complete all the courses. The accepted students are limited as 18 students. They also have a short-term course where students attend only 14 days in a year.

The Wide-spread Bonsai -The Italian Pioneers-

Posted on 6:54 by Harutomo | 0 コメント

Almost 30 years have passed since Italy has started importing bonsai from Japan. Bonsai has only 30 year-history in this country. Nowadays, however, everyone recognizes the term of "bonsai" regardless of age or gender, and many people enjoy it. How has bonsai got so popular here?

The diffusion of bonsai in this country was triggered by a company called "CRESPI BONSAI" in Milan. This company was founded in 1979 just before the bonsai boom in Italy. Today they sell pretty much everything about bonsai such as bonsai itself, appliances, and even magazines.

Crespi Bonsai(Crespi Srl.)

S 33 del Sempione 37

2015 Parabiago (MI)

Tel:31.491850

Email:info@crespibonsai.com

http://www.crespibonsai.com

<Milan>

Via Boccaccio, 4 20123 Milano

Tel:02.48193301

<Brescia

Via Saffi, 1 25100 Brescia

Tel:030 3772832

www.crespieditori.com.jpg


After Crespi Bonsai, other companies followed it one after another such as

Oltreil Verde http://www.oltreilverde.com/

Franchi Bonsai VIVA I http://www.franchi-bonsai.it/

Barbaza Bonsai http://www.barbazzabonsai.it/

Fuji Sato Comapany http://www.fujisato.it/chisiamo_eng/index.html

barra_02.giflogo_franchi_contatti.pnglogo.jpgcache_1178716516.jpg