From: Chris Cochrane
Subject: [IBC] "The Spirit of Bonsai design: Combine the Power of Zen
and nature" (redux)

Hi Jim.
(snipped
Our friend Lynn wrote privately re' Chinese Daoism as my preference for
the origin. It truly is not! Daoism took many twists and turns... and
its greatest
impact on bonsai is perhaps its influence on Japanese literati (especially
in the late 18th through the 19th century) who were vying with Japanese
nativist learning scholars for dominance in arts and literary pursuits.
Daoist influence on bonsai is as largely written in Japanese history as in
Chinese history. It is more easily followed in my studies by references to
stone/suiseki appreciation that was often shared by the same enthusiasts.
----------------

Chris and Jim -
I have a casual suspect when I hear of anything art related to
an era or religion or philosophy. The reason is we study art so often at
moments of its change or turbulence. If there is in an era a rebellious or
controversial state of a religious or philosophical nature I imagine
there are artists quick to find it subject for painting, music,or art as a
whole, or at least quick to grab an Effect from it.
Taoism, I, in my ignorance think that it is a nature-guided belief
system, fairly stable and always seems appealing. Daoism I imagine to be
less easy to grasp as steadily, and could have attracted arts for that
reason. Sometimes I look for the artists in defining a period before
other parts of a culture because they have a history of making some kind of
presentation of rebelliousness or innovation when anything is "stirring."
I do look upon whatever the literati presented with the most
conviction , very firm in some manner. They represent some kind of
classicism to me.
This is all evidence of my shady scholarship, and my shifty look at
history which has so many zooms in its camera.
Lynn





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