Bonsai: A Patient Art
Pages: 166
ISBN: 978-0300190908
Purchase from Amazon.com, or eBay.com.
I was very excited when I first saw that Bonsai: A Patient Art was set to come out this year. I love bonsai books of this variety, coffee table book with mostly pictures of exquisite bonsai trees. Personally I am completely okay with the trend of this style of bonsai book appearing recently. I think there are plenty of the instructional type books for beginners to find what they are looking for. But the real enthusiasts will enjoy a “picture” book of high class trees.
My first impression of the book was “Wow”, very simple and minimalistic approach to the cover and interior pages and cloth bound hard covers are always a plus as they feel very solid and of superior quality in my hands. Very heavy paper was use and I think it will standup to the continuous paging through that this book will receive. Each page spread is dedicated to a single tree with a brief history and description, with several surprise foldouts. Included in the beginning is a very brief explanation of the different styles found within, very helpful for those not familiar to bonsai.
The image quality shows how much this book means to all involved. There is a video (see below) about the making of this book and all of the effort that was spent to bring to us a work of art about works of art.
This is a book of only trees that are held at the Chicago Botanic Gardens one of the largest publicly held bonsai collections in the US. All being cared for by Midwestern bonsai master Ivan Waters and Susumu Nakamura of Japan. If you have never been able to visit the collection in Chicago I highly recommend that you add this book to your collection, if you have been there before you can bring the entire collection home with you to study at your leisure.
[tabgroup][tab title=”Publishers Summary”]
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An exquisite volume devoted to the art of bonsai, featuring the Chicago Botanic Garden’s renowned Bonsai Collection
With fresh, elegant photography, this stunning volume presents more than 60 living masterpieces from the Bonsai Collection of the Chicago Botanic Garden. Each patiently nurtured tree is presented at the peak of its seasonal beauty; each embodies the quiet energy and beauty of the art of bonsai.
In an engaging opening essay, the book introduces the practice and philosophy of bonsai, its spiritual resonance, and its horticultural sophistication. Then, alongside each tree’s portrait, is a short, thoughtful discussion of the species and style of the tree, as well as its individual history and character. Readers will cherish this superbly conceived and designed book while gaining a new appreciation for the living masterpieces that inspired it.
Chicago Botanic Garden board member and bonsai enthusiast Robert H. Malott supported the publication of this book.
[/tab][tab title=”About the Authors”]Susumu Nakamura is legendary among bonsai enthusiasts around the world and has served as director of education for the Nippon Bonsai Association and director of Bonsai Clubs International. He lives in Yokohama, Japan. Ivan Watters, curator at the Chicago Botanic Garden, is a bonsai master recognized internationally for his work and teaching. In 1996, he opened the Yasukanai Bonsai Garden, in Morton Grove, IL. He lives in Palatine, IL. Terry Ann R. Neff is widely known for developing books that deal with art and culture. She lives in Tucson, AZ.[/tab][tab title=”Critiques”]
(Paul B. Redman 20121214)[/tab][/tabgroup]
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