Page 31 - Tạp chí bonsai cây cảnh BCI 2013Q4

15

14
14 The Black Tower (after Tolkien’s Black Tower of Orthanc), Wyo-
ming dolerite, collection Allan Hills
15 Collection Brian McCarty
16 This stone was purchased at a California building supply com-
pany. The base for the stone, which is made from scraps of wood,
echoes the strata of the stone and references the materials used
in home construction. Collection of the artist.

Looking to the Chinese practice of displaying “stone-
like” objects presents opportunities for expanding the
world of stone appreciation beyond the stones them-
selves to related forms and materials.
Using found objects and materials other than wood
for the display of viewing stones can be an effective
tool for questioning the relationship between a stone
and its base. As well, it enables one to employ stones
to address a broader spectrum of ideas than conven-
tional methods of display afford simply because of the
introduction of materials that have their own conno-
tations and history.
The ancient cultures in which the Chinese and Japa-
nese viewing stone traditions developed had little in
common with the world we live in today. Neither
country was a democracy. Japan had a homoge-
neous demographic. Highly stratified societies in
both countries discouraged social mobility. While
there is much still to be learned about the conven-
tions established in past centuries, we cannot ignore
the rich history of the fine arts in the West and the
16
October/November/December 2013 | BCI | 29