Contents Foreward From Kathy McCabe ........................................................ 6
Catlin Elm, Naka ............................................................ 98 Japanese White Pine, Sugimoto ................................... 106 Formosan Juniper, Liang ..............................................112
Two Curatorial Essays
Japanese Black Pine, Furuzawa ....................................118
From Blank Slate to Fine Art by David De Groot ................ 8
Coast Redwood, Domoto ..............................................124
Decision Trees by Aarin Packard ....................................10
Bald Cypress, Banting .................................................. 130 Sierra Juniper, Imazumi ............................................... 136
Becoming
Chinese Juniper, Kawamoto.........................................144
Who We Are ...................................................................12
Staghorn Sumac, Cunningham ..................................... 152
Origins ...........................................................................14
Sierra Juniper, Neil ...................................................... 158
30 Years of Living Art ..................................................... 16
California Juniper, Hirao .............................................. 164
Architectural and Landscape Setting ............................ 20
Trident Maple, Chui ...................................................... 170 Hinoki Cypress, Mahoney.............................................. 176
Branching Out Special Exhibitions ....................................................... 22 The LAB ........................................................................ 26 Sharing The Love .......................................................... 30 Community ................................................................... 32 30 Bonsai from the Collection of PaciďŹ c Bonsai Museum Chinese Juniper on Sierra Juniper, Sugimoto ................ 36 Formosan Juniper, Lee ................................................. 42 Trident Maple, Domoto .................................................. 48
Japanese Maple, Gray .................................................. 182 Japanese Maple, Hill .................................................... 188 Podocarpus, Guidry...................................................... 194 Japanese Beech, Ohashi ............................................. 200 Mountain Hemlock, Corrington .................................... 206 Korean Yew, Yoo........................................................... 212 Surinam Cherry, Lu ...................................................... 218 The Next 30 Years A Future Practice ........................................................ 224
Tucker Oak, Yukimaru ................................................... 54 Japanese Black Pine, Liang........................................... 60 Eastern Larch, Lenz ...................................................... 66 Creeping Juniper, Naka ................................................. 72 Rocky Mountain Juniper, Kataoka ................................. 78 Blue Atlas Cedar, Hatashita ........................................... 84 Chinese Hackberry, Oki ................................................. 92
Acknowledgments ........................................................... 226
Origins In 1989, our collection was founded as the Pacific Rim Bonsai
and a connection to trees. That’s how the bonsai collection
Collection. The towering conifers surrounding the collection
started. In October 1989, as part of Washington State’s
tell a story of the Weyerhaeuser Company and the family who
centennial celebration, the Weyerhaeuser Company opened the
founded it. The art of bonsai and the business of growing
Pacific Rim Bonsai Collection to the local and world community.
timber, though different forms of tree cultivation, share the common threads of patience and perseverance.
In 2013, the Weyerhaeuser Company gifted the entire collection to the Greater Tacoma Community Foundation to
On October 12, 1962, a historic storm left much of the Pacific Northwest U.S. in widespread devastation. Tens of thousands
form a new non-profit, The George Weyerhaeuser Pacific Rim Bonsai Collection, known as Pacific Bonsai Museum.
of trees came down on Weyerhaeuser lands resulting in more timber on the market than U.S. mills could manage. Japan, with
“The care and long-term thinking that are the hallmarks of
a high demand for lumber, became one of the most important
bonsai art remain true to my family’s legacy in sustainable
markets for the Weyerhaeuser Company in the years following
forestry. I am very proud that our company created this lasting
the storm.
treasure of beautiful art.” --George H. Weyerhaeuser
George H. Weyerhaeuser, great-grandson of the company’s founder, became Chief Executive Officer in 1966. During his tenure, he transformed the Weyerhaeuser Company, and much of the timber industry, pushing it into long-term thinking. He pioneered a model of rigorous forest management and continued to nurture the Company’s trading partnerships. As Japanese companies became true partners and the relationships between their people grew stronger, George led the Company to recognize their shared connection through a meaningful, cultural offering that symbolized long-term care
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BECOMING
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Catlin Elm, Naka Ulmus parvifolia ‘Catlin’ Tree Number: 130 Room for the Birds to Fly Through In training since: 1970
This Catlin Elm bonsai is a unique tree in our collection
upon his return home, planted the young cutting onto his newly
that started from a cutting rooted in the southern California
acquired stone. Subsequently, Naka worked to cultivate a broad
backyard of John Naka. This particular variety of elm was first
crown supported by a highly ramified branch structure as well
discovered around 1950 by John Catlin, a landscape designer
as the formation of roots to enhance the root-over-rock design.
and bonsai practitioner in La Canada, California. Noticing its
He displayed this tree at multiple bonsai shows throughout
small leaves and compact growth, Catlin purchased the plant
California and chose to feature it in his book Bonsai Techniques
for making cuttings specifically for use as bonsai material. Jim
II. Eventually, the tree and rock found their way back “home” to
Barrett, the first President of the California Bonsai Society and
Washington as one of the original trees to enter our collection
fan of the cultivar, began referring to the mutant variety as the
in 1989.
“Catlin” elm in 1976. Upon its arrival at the Museum, Curator David De Groot As the Catlin elm gained popularity among the Southern
continued to refine the bonsai’s branch structure and also
California bonsai practitioners, the demand spread as more and
started selectively eliminating smaller roots growing over the
more cuttings were taken and shared with enthusiasts along
rock to emphasize the display of roots gripping the stone.
the West Coast. Because John Naka was at the epicenter of SoCal bonsai at this time and would have heard of, or personally
Continuing De Groot’s work, Curator Aarin Packard repotted
known John Catlin, it is a reasonable assumption that the
the tree in 2015. The tree was rotated slightly, allowing more
cutting taken by Naka for this bonsai was from the original
of the stone to be seen by the viewer. A slightly larger oval
parent plant discovered by Catlin which he began developing
container was chosen to better match the current proportion of
in 1970. After just a couple of years, the young tree had already
the tree, which had greatly increased in size since 1989. The tree
developed numerous long roots.
also required major structural pruning, but Packard judiciously chose to wait until he had developed a better understanding of
In 1972, Naka found a shapely piece of black lava while on
the tree now in his charge.
a tree-collecting outing in southern Washington State, and
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Over the following three years, Packard continued to
In the spring of 2018, Packard initiated the final stage of
familiarize himself with this bonsai. He witnessed the inevitable
his plan: structural pruning. While potentially intimidating,
changes that all bonsai undergo as they grow: loss of negative
structural pruning is a straightforward operation; the tree tells
space, loss of proportionality, and loss of asymmetry. Every
you which branches to remove. Structural flaws (e.g. multiple
year, more foliage was added while its branches elongated and
branches occurring at the same point on the trunk; overly
thickened. Even with proper care, there comes a point where
thick or overly weak branches; or branches with the least
a significant reduction of overly long and thick branches is
ramification) are easy to identify. The challenge is to not let
required; Naka’s bonsai are no exception.
oneself get carried away!
For guidance, Packard looked back to Naka. Naka was famous
Guided by the same principles of design that guided Naka
for using proverbs to teach his students, many of which were
and De Groot as they worked with this tree, Packard removed
compiled by Nina Shire Ragle in her 1987 book Even Monkeys Fall
approximately one-third of the branches. Restraint must
Trees. One of his most famous proverbs spoke directly to out of Trees
be exercised when pruning major branches especially on a
the need for negative space in bonsai design. When creating a
historic tree, so he allowed some faulty branches to remain. As
bonsai, Naka would tell students to “leave room for the birds to
the tree develops, his future plans are to strengthen some of
fly through.” In bonsai, negative space is a key determinant in
the remaining weaker branches while continuing to eliminate
the apparent age of a tree. When trees are young, they produce
flawed branches.
many branches (i.e. positive space) in order to maximize their growth; but as trees age, and branches die, negative space is
The Naka Catlin Elm is a special piece of American bonsai
created. In bonsai, negative space also defines foliage pads,
history. It simultaneously references the influence of a once
helping the viewer identify the lines of the trunk and branches.
“new” variety of tree and draws connections between the
Because bonsai are typically protected from environmental
vibrant bonsai communities of the North American West Coast.
extremes that could kill branches, the overall amount of
This tree is the product of diligent care provided by multiple
negative space usually diminishes as the pampered plants
artists who have honored its cyclical nature over decades,
grow. So bonsai artists create negative space the same way
demonstrating that a collected stone and a rooted elm cutting,
that wild trees do, but instead of natural randomness, they
treated with the principles of design and respect, can create a
selectively remove branches based on established principles
truly beautiful bonsai.
of design.
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1. Mid-1990s 2. Summer 2018 8
3. Mid-1980s 4. Fall 2018 5. August 1989
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6. February 14, 2012 7. Spring, Early-1990s 8. John Naka displayed the Elm in many bonsai shows over the years as seen here in the mid-1980s.
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9. John Naka’s books Bonsai Techniques I and II are regarded as the most important, written treatise on bonsai horticulture and design in the western world. The Catlin Elm and Creeping Juniper are both featured in Bonsai Techniques II. 10. August 5, 2019 11. Artist Maxwell Humphres focuses on color, pattern, and perspective to define space as he investigates his relationship to his spatial surroundings. Documenting urban environments, his interest in architecture and graffiti are influential to his work. As part of the 2017 Decked-Out exhibition, Humphres created a work in response to the Catlin Elm. The structure in the grayscale represents the volcanic rock that the tree grows around. The bright colors resemble the energy and life of the tree which has a reciprocal relationship with the structure. The repetitive nature of this piece reflects the same repetition required to maintain and care for the bonsai.
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Coast Redwood, Domoto Sequoia sempervirens Tree Number: 139 Giant in a Pot In training since: 1960
Of course a bonsai can be created from the biggest tree on
Coast Redwood can be trained in both the classic “bonsai”
earth! This specimen was purchased by Oakland, California
style (e.g. triangular) or in a style truer to their natural growth
nurseryman and bonsai artist Toichi Domoto as a three-year-
habit. Curator David De Groot built upon the structure created
old stock plant in 1960. He gave it its initial training in 1967.
by Domoto, continuing to develop the tree’s branch structure
In the 1960s, it was uncommon for bonsai artists to work with
over 25 years of meticulous care. Curator Aarin Packard aims
the Coast Redwood species, making this bonsai a very unique
to strike a balance between a traditional and natural style,
specimen for its age.
to respect both its Japanese origin and its wild character. Every so often, Pacific Bonsai Museum staff adjust to viewing
In nature, the Coast Redwood inhabits Pacific coastal areas
the bonsai with a major limb freshly missing, as if the aged
to 4,000 feet, from central California to southernmost Oregon.
tree had recently struggled through some major act of nature
Fire has always been a danger in the dry hills of its native range,
in the forest. Indeed, branch removal does inject a sense of
to which Coast Redwoods have adapted. Young redwoods
natural occurrence, but the act also has a formal objective, as
overcome destruction through their ability to re-grow from
it narrows the overall silhouette, emphasizing the trunk and the
stumps or roots, while older trees enjoy protection through
impression of height.
thick, dense bark. All bonsai artists, to some degree, work with the tension between the natural and the controlled as a design strategy; this juxtaposition becomes even more apparent in the display of the Coast Redwood bonsai, regularly growing to more than 300 feet in height in their native environment. A tree that would, in the wild, be a natural giant is here compressed into a few feet in height and nestled in a ceramic container.
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1. While Domoto is credited with cultivating his redwood bonsai for decades, De Groot is responsible for its development into one of the finest examples of redwood bonsai in the world. 9
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2. Beginning in 2016, Curator Aarin Packard began selectively removing some of the lowest and longest structural branches in an effort to visually narrow and elongate the redwood’s silhouette. This reductive pruning continued in preparation for the U.S National Bonsai Exhibition in 2018. 3. Novermber 11, 2016 4. May 11, 2011 5. The initial styling by De Groot established the branch structure that he would continue to refine for the next 25 years. 6. In the late 1950s, Toichi Domoto purchased several three-year-old Coast Redwoods. One was planted in the ground (seen in the background) while the other was cultivated as a bonsai and would eventually by acquired by the collection in 1990. 7. Aquisition team photo, Domoto Nursery, Hayward,CA 1989. 8. De Groot carried out selective pruning, eliminating unnecessary branches, in preparation for styling. 1990 9. March 27, 2009 10. Using a towel to cover the lowest branch during pruning helped Packard visualize the tree without it. The decision to remove major branches is given much consideration. January, 2016 11. November 30, 2015
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