John Yoshio Naka’s seminal work, “Bonsai Techniques“ exposes bonsai students to the writings, drawings and personality of one of California’s most-renowned bonsai artists. Naka’s text and other work include bonsai drawings, photographs and Japanese proverbs and philosophies.
In this video Eric reviews some of the process that went into creating and installing his special exhibit at the 2022 Pacific Bonsai Expo in Oakland, CA. Interspersed with some work on a zelkova forest, Eric details his thoughts about Naka, bonsai in California and the 2022 PBE.
The “How Big Was Naka’s Bird?” installation is a contemplation of negative space and scale. It explores whether rejecting traditional teaching in favor of one’s own artistic ideas can simultaneously drive bonsai forward while adhering to the strict conventions that are derived from human perception.
The birds and murmuration are a representation of the proliferation and expanse of Naka’s ideas that suggest the independent life that ideas gain once they have been released into the environment.
Drone footage by Aaron Kupferman, @imager993 on Instagram, Exhibit footage by Jonas Dupuich, @bonsaitonight on Instagram, bonsaitonight.com.
To purchase a copy of the 2022 Pacific Bonsai Expo Commemorative Album visit: https://www.pacificbonsaiexpo.com/products/pacific-bonsai-expo-commemorative-album-pre-order
To purchase an origami swallow memento, visit:
https://www.pacificbonsaiexpo.com/products/2022-exhibit-memento-origami-swallow
Your purchase will be used to fund a special exhibit in the 2024 Expo!
Exhibit Details:
“How Big was Naka’s Bird?”
Eric Schrader and Linda Mihara
Juniperus chinensis “Kishu” by Eric Schrader
Height: 32”
Pot: Japanese
Stand: Eric Schrader
Juniperus chinensis “Kishu” by Eric Schrader
Height: 3”
Pot: Mitunobu Ito (Japan)
Stand: Eric Schrader
Origami tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) by Linda Mihara
‘Bonsai Techniques’ (1973) by John Yoshio Naka
