Read our letter to the editor in response to the article on bonsai training in Japan.
In November, The New Yorker published an article describing the journey of American bonsai artist Ryan Neil, who studied for six years with Masahiko Kimura, "the so-called magician of bonsai". The story includes details about the fraught relationship that Neil had with his teacher, but it also sheds light on the living art we know and love. Though the angle may be provocative, it is a prominent placement about the art and culture of bonsai.
We thought it would be good to add our own perspective, so we wrote a letter in response. We were published in the December 19 issue, which also features a reply from another person who had more positive experiences studying in Japan. Here’s the text of our letter, which you can also read on The New Yorker’s website:
“As the director of an organization that promotes the art of bonsai in the United States, I was excited and pleased to see Robert Moor’s article, which demonstrated that bonsai takes skill, inspiration, and patience (“Deadwood,” November 21st). At the same time, two aspects of the article may repel rather than attract the general public to the art of bonsai. First, although the vividly portrayed apprenticeship culture is real and regrettable, participation in it is not a requirement for developing mastery, nor is that culture the norm throughout the world. Second, creating museum-quality or “million-dollar” bonsai undeniably takes enormous skill and time, but bonsai is nevertheless an approachable endeavor. The art form is readily accessible to anyone who is inspired by the natural world. Bonsai artists and hobbyists are generally quite welcoming and helpful to novices who wish to learn the basic skills.”