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22-02-2005, 09:02 AM

wrote:
In a message dated 2/21/05 12:04:00 AM, Eltee writes:

I thought _you_ were trying to be smart: letting the people know that
"Bonsai is now a universal art" after it has been practiced all over the world for
the better part of a century?

I'm afraid we have a very needless misunderstanding here. I'm sorry you took
umbrage at the wording. I sent the same announcement to everyone on my bonsai
e-mail list, including newspapers, other clubs, & members who were not at the
meeting. Despite what is obvious to you, the media often add to my
announcements "the Japanese art of miniature trees" or something similar. That's why I
added that bit about a universal art.

"Your" old-timers were traditionalists. But that doesn't mean that only now
that they're gone, the art became "international" as you seem to imply.

Not at all. What I meant is that the club was able to change the name now
that the traditionalists are gone. One of our members suggested the change years
ago, but was voted down.

Then you should've said: "reflecting the fact that a modern approach finally got
a way in our club" (as opposed to universality you mentioned).

All these "cultures" have become acquainted with bonsai very recently, I
take it?

I don't know that much about bonsai history. I believe it was popularized in
this country by Yuji Yoshimura & John Naka starting in the 50's. It has been
growing in other parts of the Western World for the past 20 years or so.

Well. How about the Italians? Or the British? There were bonsai exhibitions in
the UK at around the turn of the 20th century, iirc.

Besides, western world hardly qualifies as universal. That's only a western view
of the world. Similar to the notion that Columbus discovered America.

I
never meant to imply that this was a very recent development. Why do you ask?

Oh, I ask because it's obvious that you were, whether you meant it or not,
implying exactly that.