Page 60 - Tạp chí bonsai cây cảnh BCI 2014Q4

Figure 3; Tom Elias with adaptation of Asian forms and display. North Ameri-
veteran stone collector, Ken
McLeod searching for stones in can stones are not compromised exemplars of Asian
a California riverbed. stones. They are integral—having an élan and a form
that reflects their origins. They have their own aesthet-
ic. A perfect example is the striking piece of petrified
wood from Tom’s own collection that is displayed on
the book’s cover. He notes that all of the organic mate-
rial in this specimen has been replaced with minerals.
It evokes the American West and does so prepossess-
ingly. The purpose of this wonderful book is to further
the understanding of the beauty and spirit of North
American stones. It is a warm and generous invitation
to discover the indigenous stones of North America.
In this context, “discover” has two meanings and
this double entendre is quite intentional. The first
The positions that Tom has held and currently holds derives from the astonishing array of viewing stones
have afforded contact with the most accomplished presented in the book. They are beautiful, moving,
stone artists and authorities in the world. He also has and evocative, they do indeed awaken the soul. “Dis-
contact with many stone collectors in North America cover” also reflects the fact that the stones depicted
who specialize in the collection and artistic display are, quite literally, underfoot—underfoot and waiting
of indigenous material. He has witnessed a deepen- to be discovered. In this sense the book is an invita-
ing frustration that arises from futile attempts to tion to activity. Figure 3 shows Tom Elias with veteran
force North American material into Asian forms. The stone collector, Ken McLeod searching for stones in a
geomorphology of North America is varied in the ex- California riverbed.
treme. Consider the sand carved stones of the desert, How does Viewing Stones of North America ac-
the stones of the Canadian Shield, and mineral stones. complish its objectives? I have already touched on
They are very different from one another and very dif- the synergy shared by the author and the publisher.
ferent from most Asian stones. Cultures borrow from It seems that synergies are often at the heart of com-
one another, but not in slavish imitation. For cultural plex, successful undertakings. The book is divided
sharing to be viable, both adoption and adaptation into two parts. The first is a set of essays by several
are necessary. Consider the stone depicted in Figure authors who are expert in different areas of stone
Figure 4; Sitting Bison 2. It is a piece of copper ore from the Upper Penin- appreciation. Tom Elias writes about stone appre-
Eel River, Northern California sula of Michigan. While it has a form similar to that ciation in the East and West. In so doing he applies,
Brent Wilson Collection
12 x 17 x 10 inches (30.5 x 43.2 seen in Chinese scholars’ stones the material and the adapts, and transforms criteria by which Asian
x 25.4 cm) display of cast bronze clearly constitutes a powerful stones were judged to North American stones. Paul
Gilbert provides a fascinating historical piece on
the role that stones and stone appreciation had for
the native peoples of North America. Rick Stiles ex-
amines the foundation of North American viewing
stones in Asian cultures and proceeds to examine
the transformation that inevitably occurs when a
cultural tradition is first adopted and subsequently
adapted. Richard Turner provides a fascinating piece
titled “Viewing Stones and Contemporary Art.” The
essays are lively, informative, and well-illustrated.
They pair well with the second part of the book,
which consists of 151 splendid color plates that il-
lustrate the range and beauty of indigenous stones.
When Tom Elias was preparing to write the book,
he sent a letter asking noted stone collectors to con-
sider contributing photographs of their stones. He
expected that approximately twenty of the invitees
would respond and that, at most, he would receive
175 photographs. In actuality, sixty-three collectors
responded and submitted well over 300 photographs.
These represent an astonishing variety of stones col-
lected from very diverse environments. The breadth
of participation allows for a visual course in stone
appreciation that is exceptional. Synergies do indeed
underlie excellence.

58 | BCI | October/November/December 2014