Michael Hagedorn is a bonsai artist who spent 2 1/2 years apprenticing under Shinji Suzuki of Nagano, Japan. Michael’s art background ranges from painting and drawing to ceramic sculpture and installation. Following a Master’s degree in ceramic art from the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University, he made bonsai containers for nine years in upstate New York and Arizona. Michael’s bonsai work appeared in the Kokufu show in Tokyo in 2004, 2005, and 2006 while an apprentice, and Mr. Suzuki honored him with the opportunity to wire two trees that went on to win a Kokufu Prize and a Prime Minister Award. He lives near Portland, Oregon. (Photo: Greg Brenden)
Michael’s ‘take’ on Bonsai:
I am most interested in the idea that bonsai is ‘present history,’ that it represents the past efforts of a community of artists. The tradition itself has this character, and many single bonsai do as well if multiple artists have worked on them. The responsibility that this presents us is something I revel in. I did not feel that sort of thing—this connectivity—as a painter, sculptor, or potter.
In my past creative pursuits improvisation played a large role, and jazz and it’s working methodology still interests me and I continue to explore its application in bonsai.
Interview in Stone Lantern’s blog, Bonsaibark:
http://bonsaibark.com/2009/02/24/michael-hagedorn-interview-part-1/
Paragraphs from interviews:
‘I like the diversity of people who seem drawn to bonsai. And it is gratifying to see students get excited about taking things to another level. I’d say the only hard part is teaching in a workshop type of situation where the concept of a ‘good tree’ is difficult to teach. It is almost like trying to understand Michelangelo’s ‘David’ from photos. I was thirteen when I saw the ‘David’ in Italy and discovered that it was huge. He had made his David be a giant, the real Goliath. I would have never gotten that by looking at a photo, but it hits you in the gut when you’re there. Not book knowledge. Likewise, we can’t really learn the essential points of bonsai from reading, and we can’t learn what a good tree is by seeing a photo or talking about it—we have to see it in person. So I’ve been changing my style of teaching a bit. I prefer to be teaching the way I learned at my master’s place, by standing in front of a good tree. I think this is the best way to learn. We learn ten times as fast. So I am working on gathering a ‘teaching’ collection so that I can teach from my backyard.’
‘A personal goal, if I had to name one, would be to find some kind of authentic, personal voice within bonsai. Which is very difficult within the realm of this tradition, since I think bonsai is, at its best, an egoless art. It is a way of not taking ourselves so seriously, thinking primarily of others, and assumes a slight of hand that creates an untouched beauty. And so seeking a singular voice is almost a contradiction.’
‘…also I would say to students: Bonsai is best when the artist is invisible. This is like a puppet show; we should not be seen. So that whenever we get the impulse to be in front of the curtain rather than behind it, remember to keep technique minimal, and be content with playing a supporting role to a tree. And then, one of the wonderful things about bonsai is that our medium eventually takes over possession of itself once more, and it is no longer a fingerprint of an artist, but is simply a tree again. The evidence of its creation has long since disappeared. That’s magical!’
