Page 66 - BSAM 2016 Q3

Below; Because some of the planting angles were a bit extreme, as commonly seen in nature, the use of guy wires was crucial to keep the plants situated.
The Initial Arrangement
In the year 2011 and a er improving their general health, ve of the original eight trees brought to me by Mr. Chen were nally selected as the material to be incorporated within the group setting. As o en is the case, the trees needed initial preparation to be able to enter the realm of the creation. In sum, unnecessary branches were eliminated, weak/immature growth was cut, bark and deadwood were carefully cleaned and the roots were trimmed accordingly.
Setting the main tree is o en a challenge, as it regu- larly commands the overall image and placement of the remaining elements. Always having the natural images of high mountain junipers present, I chose an uneven, o -center location for the principal tree. As I set the tree into place, the wild character of my mountain travels came to mind, suddenly remember- ing that nature has no presets. Wild junipers come and go, twist and turn and have no regular rules. Like its natural counterparts, the main tree ows to the le , sometimes to the right, yielding a little, rising slowly to the sky. Other characteristics and particularities that came to mind were drooping branches and low trail- ing limbs. In my opinion these are essential traits of the wild alpine forests; elements that compulsorily had to be integrated within the creation. A er two and a half hours of interplay between my mind, the material and the images of the wild trees, the nal placement and the beginning of the trees as a group came to be. Because some of the chosen planting angles were a bit extreme, as commonly seen in nature, the use of guy wires was crucial to keep the plants situated. Once the location of the trees was concluded, the forest was allowed to rest, resuming fertilization once the trees anchored themselves and growth of the overall com- position recommenced.
64 | BCI | July/August/September 2016