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9780789211125 English 0789211122 Bonsai trees, with a strong heritage in Japanese tradition, are the artistic miniatures of the plant world. Combining the natural and the artificial, they are as intricate as they are delicate. Each bonsai, in addition to resembling a full-size tree, must adhere to Japanese aesthetics of design and presentation, determined by centuries of example. In other words, bonsai are living sculptures. In this book, acclaimed photographer Jonathan M. Singer showcases over 300 photographs of bonsai taken in some of the most respected private and public collections in the United States and Japan. Most notably, Singer was granted special permission to photograph the collection of the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum in Japan, considered the "Mecca" of bonsai, where photography is normally prohibited. He is the first (and only) photographer in the world to shoot the most famed bonsai trees in Japan, some of which received the coveted Prime Minister's Award. Singer also had the opportunity to capture the work of Masahiko Kimura, thought to be the most skilled bonsai designer in the world, and artist Seiji Morimae, whose family has worked in horticulture for over 500 years. Among the American bonsai collections photographed in Bonsai are the Pacific Rim Bonsai Collection (Seattle, WA), the Golden State Bonsai Federation Collection South (Pasadena, CA), and the International Bonsai Arboretum (Rochester, NY). Whereas most books on bonsai aim to instruct readers on techniques of care and cultivation, Singer's book takes the reader on a visual journey that focuses on the aesthetic beauty of each featured tree. Alluring and serene, Singer's photographs make the experience of leafing through Bonsai not unlike entering a real Japanese garden., In "Fine Bonsai: Art and Nature," the most notable bonsai trees in the world are seen through the lens of renowned botanical photographer Jonathan Singer. This magnificent volume is the result of an extensive photographic campaign, in the course of which Singer was granted unprecedented access to the most respected public and private collections in Japan and the United States, including the Omiya Bonsai Village of Saitama, Japan, called the "mecca of bonsai," where photography is normally prohibited. Three hundred stunning full-page images and four lavish gatefolds present bonsai of all types, from quiet representations of nature to bold sculptural forms. The horticultural and aesthetic characteristics of each bonsai are concisely and authoritatively described in the narrative captions by William Valavanis, head of the International Bonsai Arboretum in Rochester, New York. And because the container is considered an integral part of any bonsaiindeed, the literal meaning of bonsai is tray plant the book also includes some twenty-five photographs of traditional bonsai containers, with descriptions. A further sequence of twenty-five photographs is devoted to the related art of suiseki, or miniature stone landscapes displayed in the same manner, and often alongside, bonsai. With his groundbreaking first book, "Botanica Magnifica," Jonathan Singer established a new style of botanical photography, characterized by an exceptional clarity of detail and richness of color, as well as a painterly chiaroscuro. These qualities are just as evident in the present volume; Singer photographs each bonsai with an artist s one might even say a portraitist s eye. Whereas most books on bonsai aim to instruct readers on techniques of care and cultivation, Singer s book takes the reader on a visual journey. His images encompass many different species, from azalea to red maple, as well as a variety of blossoms and fruits. Alluring and serene, Singer's photographs make the experience of leafing through Bonsai not unlike entering a real Japanese garden. "Fine Bonsai" not only documents the masterpieces of an ancient horticultural art, but is a masterpiece in itself. A portion of the proceeds of this book will benefit the Japanese Red Cross.", In this luxurious cloth-bound hardcover with glossy slipcase, renowned botanical photographer Jonathan Singer presents his breathtaking images of the world's most notable bonsai. In Fine Bonsai: Art & Nature , the finest extant achievements in the art of bonsai are seen together for the first time, through the lens of renowned botanical photographer Jonathan Singer. This magnificent volume is the result of an extensive photographic campaign, in the course of which Singer was granted unprecedented access to the most respected public and private collections in Japan and the United States, including the mecca of bonsai, the Omiya Bonsai Village of Saitama, Japan, where photography is normally prohibited. Three hundred stunning full-page images and four lavish gatefolds present bonsai of all types, from quiet representations of nature to bold sculptural forms. The horticultural and aesthetic characteristics of each bonsai are concisely and authoritatively described in the narrative captions by William Valavanis, head of the International Bonsai Arboretum in Rochester, New York. And because the container is considered an integral part of any bonsai--indeed, the literal meaning of "bonsai" is "tray plant"--the book also includes some twenty-five photographs of traditional bonsai containers, with descriptions. A further sequence of twenty-five photographs is devoted to the related art of suiseki, or miniature stone landscapes displayed in the same manner, and often alongside, bonsai. With his groundbreaking first book, Botanica Magnifica , Jonathan Singer established a new style of botanical photography, characterized by an exceptional clarity of detail and richness of color, as well as a painterly chiaroscuro. These qualities are just as evident in the present volume; Singer photographs each bonsai with an artist's--one might even say a portraitist's--eye. Whereas most books on bonsai aim to instruct readers on techniques of care and cultivation, Singer's book takes the reader on a visual journey.His images encompass many different species, from azalea to red maple, as well as a variety of blossoms and fruits. Alluring and serene, Singer's photographs make the experience of leafing through Bonsai not unlike entering a real Japanese garden. Fine Bonsai: Art & Nature not only documents the masterpieces of an ancient horticultural art, but is a masterpiece in itself. A portion of the proceeds of this book will benefit the Japanese Red Cross.
9780789211125 English 0789211122 Bonsai trees, with a strong heritage in Japanese tradition, are the artistic miniatures of the plant world. Combining the natural and the artificial, they are as intricate as they are delicate. Each bonsai, in addition to resembling a full-size tree, must adhere to Japanese aesthetics of design and presentation, determined by centuries of example. In other words, bonsai are living sculptures. In this book, acclaimed photographer Jonathan M. Singer showcases over 300 photographs of bonsai taken in some of the most respected private and public collections in the United States and Japan. Most notably, Singer was granted special permission to photograph the collection of the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum in Japan, considered the "Mecca" of bonsai, where photography is normally prohibited. He is the first (and only) photographer in the world to shoot the most famed bonsai trees in Japan, some of which received the coveted Prime Minister's Award. Singer also had the opportunity to capture the work of Masahiko Kimura, thought to be the most skilled bonsai designer in the world, and artist Seiji Morimae, whose family has worked in horticulture for over 500 years. Among the American bonsai collections photographed in Bonsai are the Pacific Rim Bonsai Collection (Seattle, WA), the Golden State Bonsai Federation Collection South (Pasadena, CA), and the International Bonsai Arboretum (Rochester, NY). Whereas most books on bonsai aim to instruct readers on techniques of care and cultivation, Singer's book takes the reader on a visual journey that focuses on the aesthetic beauty of each featured tree. Alluring and serene, Singer's photographs make the experience of leafing through Bonsai not unlike entering a real Japanese garden., In "Fine Bonsai: Art and Nature," the most notable bonsai trees in the world are seen through the lens of renowned botanical photographer Jonathan Singer. This magnificent volume is the result of an extensive photographic campaign, in the course of which Singer was granted unprecedented access to the most respected public and private collections in Japan and the United States, including the Omiya Bonsai Village of Saitama, Japan, called the "mecca of bonsai," where photography is normally prohibited. Three hundred stunning full-page images and four lavish gatefolds present bonsai of all types, from quiet representations of nature to bold sculptural forms. The horticultural and aesthetic characteristics of each bonsai are concisely and authoritatively described in the narrative captions by William Valavanis, head of the International Bonsai Arboretum in Rochester, New York. And because the container is considered an integral part of any bonsaiindeed, the literal meaning of bonsai is tray plant the book also includes some twenty-five photographs of traditional bonsai containers, with descriptions. A further sequence of twenty-five photographs is devoted to the related art of suiseki, or miniature stone landscapes displayed in the same manner, and often alongside, bonsai. With his groundbreaking first book, "Botanica Magnifica," Jonathan Singer established a new style of botanical photography, characterized by an exceptional clarity of detail and richness of color, as well as a painterly chiaroscuro. These qualities are just as evident in the present volume; Singer photographs each bonsai with an artist s one might even say a portraitist s eye. Whereas most books on bonsai aim to instruct readers on techniques of care and cultivation, Singer s book takes the reader on a visual journey. His images encompass many different species, from azalea to red maple, as well as a variety of blossoms and fruits. Alluring and serene, Singer's photographs make the experience of leafing through Bonsai not unlike entering a real Japanese garden. "Fine Bonsai" not only documents the masterpieces of an ancient horticultural art, but is a masterpiece in itself. A portion of the proceeds of this book will benefit the Japanese Red Cross.", In this luxurious cloth-bound hardcover with glossy slipcase, renowned botanical photographer Jonathan Singer presents his breathtaking images of the world's most notable bonsai. In Fine Bonsai: Art & Nature , the finest extant achievements in the art of bonsai are seen together for the first time, through the lens of renowned botanical photographer Jonathan Singer. This magnificent volume is the result of an extensive photographic campaign, in the course of which Singer was granted unprecedented access to the most respected public and private collections in Japan and the United States, including the mecca of bonsai, the Omiya Bonsai Village of Saitama, Japan, where photography is normally prohibited. Three hundred stunning full-page images and four lavish gatefolds present bonsai of all types, from quiet representations of nature to bold sculptural forms. The horticultural and aesthetic characteristics of each bonsai are concisely and authoritatively described in the narrative captions by William Valavanis, head of the International Bonsai Arboretum in Rochester, New York. And because the container is considered an integral part of any bonsai--indeed, the literal meaning of "bonsai" is "tray plant"--the book also includes some twenty-five photographs of traditional bonsai containers, with descriptions. A further sequence of twenty-five photographs is devoted to the related art of suiseki, or miniature stone landscapes displayed in the same manner, and often alongside, bonsai. With his groundbreaking first book, Botanica Magnifica , Jonathan Singer established a new style of botanical photography, characterized by an exceptional clarity of detail and richness of color, as well as a painterly chiaroscuro. These qualities are just as evident in the present volume; Singer photographs each bonsai with an artist's--one might even say a portraitist's--eye. Whereas most books on bonsai aim to instruct readers on techniques of care and cultivation, Singer's book takes the reader on a visual journey.His images encompass many different species, from azalea to red maple, as well as a variety of blossoms and fruits. Alluring and serene, Singer's photographs make the experience of leafing through Bonsai not unlike entering a real Japanese garden. Fine Bonsai: Art & Nature not only documents the masterpieces of an ancient horticultural art, but is a masterpiece in itself. A portion of the proceeds of this book will benefit the Japanese Red Cross.