The Best of 20 Years Trophy 2019

[melbrackstone]

Something has been bothering me from the start, but it is not until now that I suddenly realised that the name of this show is strange. What is meant by "The Best of 20 Years Trophy"? Which Trophy? The only one which is universally known is the famous "Noelanders Trophy", created by Marc Noelanders in 2000. If you are interested, see what led up tp it, and how it developed here: https://www.facebook.com/15104487206109 ... 482717728/ You don't need to have a Facebook account to access it.
Then see last year's Noelanders Trophy on YouTube, and you'll understand why I didn't think Marc would have accepted some of the trees shown here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5HBPCLFaHU A magnificent video, well worth watching.
After all that, can any of you explain why the exhibition this year is titled "The Best..." ? Have the best bonsai of past years come back to figure in this exhibition??

Marc Noelanders, you are sorely missed on the world scene.

Lisa

I have to say I was perplexed as well, Lisa, and that's why I asked back on page 1.

There has been a split between Marc and the Belgium Bonsai Society and Marc has moved on.

It's possible that this split has also meant that some of the people showing their trees in earlier exhibitions have also abandoned ship?

I agree that Marc's efforts for the past 19 years have been very inspiring, and his presence will be a huge loss to the European and world scene. I hope all is well with him, and that we'll continue to see his work in the future.

[Watto]

From what I know Marc is well and is still very much involved in bonsai. Marc and the Bonsai Association Belgium have split and Marc now has his own group.
The Bonsai Association Belgium own the rights to the name "Noelanders Trophy" but decided not to use the name this year, although they did use the name last year (the split occurred in 2017).
But onto the important stuff, a few more photos......

[LLK]

Thanks for the photos,Watto, as well as for the info regarding Marc Noelanders and the Noelanders Trophy. I did find out that apart from the Belgian Association Bonsai there is a large Flemish bonsai association. Marc is Flemish himself.
If the split between Mard and the BAB occurred in 2017, the standard of the bonsai exhibited in the 2018 Noelanders Trophy might have been expected to be inferior to that of previous years, but it is not. So why is this year's standard belowtree that of 2017 and 2018? Is it because in 2018 the Trophy was linked to the name Noelanders, and this year it is not?

What strikes me in the selection of trees for this year's Trophy is the number of trees imported from Japan already styled and the number of non-Belgian stylists. In a TV interview Marc was asked how he selected the trees for the Noelanders Trophy, and on what base. He answered that he travelled a lot and saw many bonsai and thus was able to recommend to the owners to show certain trees; he said also that he was mainly after what he called "interesting bonsai, not first and foremost classical or conventional".

Lisa

[melbrackstone]

Thanks Watto, I didn't know that!

[Watto]

A couple more.
The national pass time of bagging Privets should be put to bed with this example?

[LLK]

The national pass time of bagging Privets should be put to bed with this example?

Maybe.... but gee, the Japanese are good at styling privets... almost looks like a Chinese elm... or a trident...

But my vote goes to the Ligustrum, a yamadori styled by a Belgian or a close neighbour, judging by the name.
Great job, Mr Tielens!

Thanks once again, Watto.

Lisa

[Rory]

Great photos Watto.

In my opinion I actually think the privet is a bit ugly. Its just two incredibly thick trunks with very young branching that doesn't blend well in my eyes.
I wouldn't have had this for display if it was mine, but I'm a picky bastard.
It just looks odd to me that both trunks would be broken off and well formed branching would develop on both. Great art and skill though.

[LLK]

A bit of a mix up here. No privet shown: one tree is a juniper. the other a silverberry or oleaster. I guess you meant that with trees like the silverberry we could forget about privets, Watto? And Rory, I guess it's the Elaeagnus you don't like?

......Unless my AusBonsai Forum page shows me something different from yours.

Lisa, with apologies

[Ryceman3]

So I think I'm a little confused ... Ligustrum is privet right?? I see the last image that Watto posted is labelled Ligustrum so no mix up, unless ... are you saying the event mislabelled the tree? Is it a privet, it is right?

[Watto]

Yep its a privet. The colder weather in Europe make them deciduous, or at least semi-deciduous.

[LLK]

Well, that is a mystery for sure! You may believe me or not, but at 7 a.m. today when I looked at the last 2 trees, the second was labelled Elaeagnus!!!
I even went to Google to find out what its common name was, and I wondered about Watto's comment regarding privets.


Lisa

[Ryceman3]

You’re freaking me out Lisa!!! There’s someone... or something lurking in the Ausbonsai ether creating havoc!

[Watto]

Todays couple

[KIRKY]

Thanks Watto some seriously nice pots too
Cheers
Kirky

[Rory]

Someone on this forum once said they very much dislike the 'Dr Suess' bonsai trees.
The Juniperus chinensis 'kishu' is one of the greatest examples of the 'Dr Suess' style I've ever seen.

That Betula pendula is lovely to look at,..... I reckon it'd be amazing to see it in about 10-15 years.