Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Where does bonsai stand in the public opinion?

Mulhouse, France in late summer of 2010 preparing for the big Folie'Flore, the Flower fair.

This is not a virtual. It is for real. Now I know why there were so many people in the bonsai tents. It was hard to take photographs because the masses were moving you.

It is almost impossible to make a decent living of doing bonsai professionally as an art form in Europe. But it is very much possible to make some money exhibiting good bonsai. Or it looks like, at least. Unfortunately the money does not arrive at the artists. So far.

The overwhelming majority of bonsai exhibits aim at the bonsai crowd. No surprise they hardly break even. You cannot sell expensive bonsai to the general public, but you can very well show them. And they will come, you bet.