Insight / Eyesight-Redux

CC ALIFORNIAALIFORNIA A A ISEKIISEKI K K AIAI Volume 36, Issue 9 September 2018

(Ed Note: I enjoy going back to old newsletters and rereading some of Larry’s columns. I like this one. It was printed in the March 2012 issue.) Ralph Johnson has a favorite saying - “Insight improves eyesight”. In the simplest of interpretations, it translates as “The more you know the more you see.” However, I believe his use of this phrase on several occasions during a recent visit to his home was not just in passing. Ralph’s mission in life is to make one think, so I did. Thanks Ralph. The phrase is key to understanding the world of suiseki and is a perfect adage to help people understand our passion for these art forms. So what is insight? The dictionary says, “the capacity to discern the true nature of a thing” or “the act or outcome of grasping the inward or hidden nature of things or of perceiving in an intuitive manner”. Intuitive means seeing or sensing something not evident. It is an impression. Sharon Marquart, an inspirational speaker-author on the subject, writes, “When you develop your insight, the world you see through your eyesight changes. Many of us were taught to see the world around us in an objective way rather than reflective. We were taught to evaluate and react to it rather than observe it. Your insight is the sight you have from within, your intuition. Each one of us is intuitive.” Note that when she writes “when you develop your insight” she means that while it may be intuitive to some, it more likely needs to be learned in some manner. Our members gain insight by attending Aiseki Kai’s monthly meetings and by reading this newsletter and other related publications. We learn from each other. Understanding suiseki is intuitive for some people, once the basic concepts are explained... (A month later, Larry modified this statement when he wrote...) That may be true for some audiences but many of our members and our guests at our Huntington shows, come loaded with intuition and need no hints. Sadly, there are always some guests who just see a rock. (Larry closed by saying) that we need to look beyond the suiseki. Your intuition - your imagination - fills in the rest of an endless natural scene. ~Larry Ragle

September Program

Ann Horton will be our presenter on September 26th. The Combined 38th All Japan Aiseki Association National Exhibition and the 2018 Hokkaido Suiseki Federation Exhibition took place this summer in Sapporo, with an emphasis on stones from the island of Hokkaido. Ann will speak about being a member of a small group of enthusiasts, some of whom displayed stones and went on a trip to visit collecting sites and collectors. Ann said that the skin and density of a kamuikotan is pretty wonderful. She will bring a few examples for us to see and touch. Please come and participate in viewing and discussing contemporary Japanese collecting and display. We start at 7:30PM.

Stone of the Month It seems like ages since the last time we brought in our scenic landscape stones without a qualifier. For our stone of the month, let’s go totally classic and bring in our nicest examples of suiseki, for instance, the quintessential mountain scene. (It does not have to be a mountain, however, it should be a “proper” suiseki, not a flower stone or an abstract stone; rather it should be an easily identifiable landscape stone.) Here are two outstanding examples from Jim Greaves.

Thomes Creek 10" x 1 1/2" x 3 3/8" (25.4cm x 3.8cm x 8.6cm)

Trinity River 11 7/8" x 2 1/8" x 2 1/2" (30.2cm x 5.4cm x 6.4cm)

The 1 inch wide inner m

argins are designed for use with a 3 hole punch.

VOLUME 36, ISSUE 9 CALIFORNIA AISEKI KAI

STONE of the MONTH: Pattern stones Available space dictated that at least in most cases we needed to omit the owner’s personal description of their stone. You can decide what the pattern represents for you. Measurements are in inches, w x h x d

PAGE 2

August Meeting Notes ANNOUNCEMENTS: We were pleased to see Tom and Apinya Culton as well as Joseph Gaytan. We welcomed new member Martin Schreiner and his friend, Frank. Set-up for our Huntington Exhibit will be on Dec 20. Show dates Dec 26-30. Our next Yuha trip will be Nov 3-4. We are still working out the details.

Richard Turner 9.5 x 9 x 1.5

Joseph Gaytan 5 x 4.5 x 2 from Lois Hutchinson

Linda Gill 4.5 x 5.5 x 2.5 “Buddha”

Richard Turner 8 x 6 x .25

Phil Chang 6.5 x 6 x 2

Linda Gill 2.5 x 3.5 x 2 “Shaman”

VOLUME 36, ISSUE 9 CALIFORNIA AISEKI KAI

PAGE 3

Linda Gill 4.5 x 2 x 4 “Crab”

Larry Ragle 4.5 x 4.5 x 3.5 “Celestial” Nina Ragle 5.5 x 5.25 x 2

Nina Ragle 3 x 7 x 1.5

Hanne Povlsen 3.5 x 5 x 1.5 Hanne Povlsen 7 x 9 x 2 “Migrating Birds”

Joseph Gaytan 6 x 6.5 x 5.5 from Freeman Wang (front) “Happy Brush” Joseph also sees multiple faces. (back)

PAGE 4 CALIFORNIA AISEKI KAI VOLUME 36, ISSUE 9 SEPTEMBER 2018

PAGE 4 CALIFORNIA AISEKI KAI VOLUME 36, ISSUE 9

Carol Mortensen found “Harlequin Peak” at Elder Creek. 9.5 x 4.5 x 3 She feels this pattern stone reminds her of the harlequin pattern found in precious Australian black opals. What is special about this freestyle pattern is the interesting interplay of notan.

Carol Mortensen’s stone “Full Moon Rising” has the feel of the moon fighting to rise through the black smoke of all the fires that have clouded the California skies these past few months. 5 x 5 x 2.5 This is an uncut natural stone she found at Cache Creek.

John Mortensen, “Dark Skies” 7 x 8 x 3 John found this “Genshi-seki” (celestial pattern stone) at the Trinity River many years ago.

In Memory of Rick Klauber, 7 x 8.25 x 5, “Moonlit Snow Scene”, collected by Rick in Central California.

Googly-eyed birds - Stiliguamish. 6 x 7.5 x 3. I bought this stone from a local collector. In addition to seeing figures, I like the naturally weathered bands of greenish white and purplish stone.

Birdhead - branch of the Stiliguamish River, WA 2.5 x 5.5 x 2.5 I like it in this little suiban because it sort of suggests a nest (that and I've never gotten around to making a daiza)

3.5 x 4.25 x 1.5 Chinese multi-image stone purchased at the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show. This stone is one of my very favorites (even though it's varnished) because of its many images.

The 3 pattern stones below were sent by Karen Higgins:

CALIFORNIA AISEKI KAI PAGE 5 VOLUME 36, ISSUE 9

In the West, we expect philosophy to come from books. In the East, more wisely, there's an awareness that it may legitimately come from rocks. In Chinese culture, in the middle period of the Tang dynasty, in the first half of the 9th century, an enthusiasm for rocks developed which gradually spread to Japan. In East Asia, rocks are venerated with all the respect that we would give to a work of art; except that what is really being honored is the power of nature rather then the human hand. Collectors seek out rocks with a passion, the more eroded and irregularly contorted the rock, the better. Scholarly essays, poems and ink painted scrolls are dedicated to the subtleties and nuances of rocks. 826 AD, Tang dynasty- Lake Tai, Jiangsu Province, China: Bai Juyi, who happens to be one of China's major poets, is taking a stroll around a large lake on the Yangtze Delta Plain in eastern China, when something on its shore catches his eye. It is an apparently trivial yet momentous discovery: a pair of oddly shaped rocks. This is no less than the founding moment in Chinese petrofilia (love of rocks). So struck is he by these rocks, with their twisted angles and perforations, that he has them taken home to Suzhou. So just what is the value of these unprepossessing specimens? Daoism, which began as a philosophy in ancient China before turning into a popular religion, cherishes nature - and Bai Juyi welcomed the evidence of this force in the rocks. The holes, perforations and indentations signal the patient, mighty forces of the universe - which we should respect and attempt to find harmony with. Through rocks we can learn dignity of what has been marked by ageing and time. Thanks to the enthusiasm and poetic talent of Bai Juyi, the unusual limestone rocks at Lake Taihu soon became sought after by sensitive, creative people in the Tang dynasty. 12th century AD. Northern Song dynasty- Wuwei district, Anhui Province, China: Mi Fu has been invited to meet-and-greet all the other important administrators with whom he will

be working. They stand waiting for him in the front garden of the official residence. As he walks toward them, they are shocked at his sudden breach of protocol. He has been stopped in his tracks by an unusually large rock in the garden. Instead of offering his respects to his hosts, Mi Fu bows ceremoniously to the extraordinary looking rock. He calls out and addresses it as 'Elder Brother Rock' and makes an elaborate speech. Only after fully expressing his devotion to this amazing rock does Mi Fu finally turn to his hosts and bow. This story captured the imagination of East Asia's painters, for whom 'Mi Fu and Elder Brother Rock' remained a favorite image for centuries to come. Mi Fu writes a treatise on rocks that enumerates their four main aesthetic qualities: Shou- an elegant and upright stature Zhou- a wrinkled and furrowed texture Iou- cracks that are like channels or paths through the rock Tou- holes in the rock that allow air and light to pass through In the 11th and 12th century, during the Chinese Northern Song dynasty, collecting rocks among scholar-officials like Mi Fu becomes a passion. Stones are mounted on wooden bases and placed on desks as a constant source of inspiration. These decorative stones become known as 'gongshi' or 'spirit stones'. Their peculiarly twisted shapes are admired as evidence of the 'qi' energy that is believed to animate nature and the human body alike. Any cultivated person is expected to have an appreciation of rocks. They are valued as highly as any painting or calligraphic scroll.

August Program Notes For the Love of Rocks

and the Appreciation of Mountains by Wanda Matjas

VOLUME 36, ISSUE 9 CALIFORNIA AISEKI KAI PAGE 6

The Chinese garden is a landscape style which has evolved over three thousand years. Gardens were for the emperors and members of the imperial family built to impress, and used for pleasure, reflection and escape from the outside world. The idealized landscape is meant to express the harmony that should exist between man and nature. An ancient Chinese legend played an important part in early garden design. The Legend of the Isle of the Immortals:

In the 4th century BC, a tale in the Shan Hai Jing (Classic of Mountains and Seas) described a peak called Mount Penglai located on one of the three islands at the end of the Bohai Sea, which was the home of the Eight Immortals. On this island were places of gold and silver, with jewels hanging from trees. There was no pain, no winter, wine glasses and rice bowls were always full, and fruits, when eaten, granted eternal life. In 221 BC, Ying Zheng, the King of Qin unified China under the Qin Empire, which he ruled until 210 BC. He had heard the legend of the islands and sent emissaries to find them and bring back the elixir of immortal life, without success. At his palace he created a garden with a large lake called 'Lake of the Orchids'. On the lake he made an island replica of Mount Penglai, symbolizing his search for paradise. After his death, the Qin Empire fell and the garden was completely destroyed, but the legend continued to inspire Chinese gardens.

The Summer Palace [Yiheyuan] in Beijing China

The Garden of Health and Harmony

There are many unusual rocks scattered throughout the courtyards at the Summer Palace. These rocks are quite large and displayed as single standing rocks or assembled together in much larger configurations as the "backbone" landscaping of a Chinese garden. They represent the fanciful mountains of the Immortals and other real or imagined mountain scenery from the Chinese landscape. Yuyuan Garden in Shanghai China:

VOLUME 36, ISSUE 9 CALIFORNIA AISEKI KAI PAGE 7

through and around the rocks and trees, wishing good luck to those who catch a glimpse of him in the garden. 1450 - 1550, Muromachi Period, Japan: In fifteenth century Japan, the obsession with rocks had crossed over from China. In Japan the 'spirit rocks' are called suiseki, and are treasured for their 'yoseki', a weathered and ancient appearance that is similar to the aged simplicity of the aesthetic of wabi sabi. Ryoanji Temple [The Temple of the Dragon at Peace] in Northwest Kyoto: At Ryoanji Temple in Koyto, the stones start to be set in very minimal settings, so as to bring out their own amazing qualities. This is called kare-sansui ("dry landscape"). Here landscape is reduced to its barest essence - scattered rocks that recall mountains surrounded by stone fragments of raked gravel in symmetrical wave-like patterns that suggest flowing water. The only greenery is the bed of moss in which each rock is set. The raking of the gravel around the rocks, in various patterns including the 'water pattern' of concentric rings or ripples is a careful and precise art. The garden is to be viewed from outside the gravel edge rather then to be physically explored. The temple and it gardens are listed as one of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto.

Yuyuan Garden ('Yu' in Chinese means pleasing and satisfying) is believed to have been built in the Ming Dynasty, more than 400 years ago. It was built by Pan Yunduan as a comfort for his parents in their aging years. After it was completed it was the

largest and most prestigious garden in Shanghai. The exquisite and artistic placement of the rocks in the garden blend together to create a unique design called the 'Great Rockery'. A centerpiece in this rockery is the

exquisite Jade Rock (Yu Linglong), a porous five ton boulder. It is characterized by its large wrinkled appearance, translucent nature and numerous holes eroded by water. Rumor has it that it was meant for the Imperial Palace in Beijing, but was salvaged after the boat sank off Shanghai. There is a unique beast that is a guardian of the garden; it is a dragon. It sits atop the wall as it undulates

protect the temple. The stones in this garden were taken from Shikoku, the smallest of Japan's four main islands, and the birthplace of Kobo Daishi. Returning to China to Huangshan (Chinese meaning Yellow Mountain) its name is in honor of Huang Di (the Yellow Emperor) a legendary Chinese emperor, and mythological ancestor of the Han Chinese. Huangshan is a mountain range in the southern Anhui province in eastern China. These

PAGE 8 VOLUME 36, ISSUE 9 CALIFORNIA AISEKI KAI

Kongobuji Garden Mount Koya Wakayama prefecture, Japan: (Temple of the Diamond Mountain Peak) Located in a peaceful wooded area of Wakayama prefecture, Mount Koya [or Koyasan as it is called in Japanese] is one of Japan's most magical destinations. It was originally established in 819 by the famous monk Kukai [also known as Kobo Daishi]. To this day it remains a spiritual retreat and one of the holiest places in Japan. Kongobuji Temple and Banryutei Rock Garden are located on sacred Mount Koya. The temple is home to Japan's largest rock garden, which spans 2,340 square meters and contains 140 granite stones arranged to resemble a pair of intertwined dragons emerging from a sea of clouds to

mountains were formed in the Mesozoic era, approximately 100 million years ago, when an ancient sea disappeared do to uplift. Later, in the Quaternary

Period, the landscape was shaped by the influence of glaciers. The Huangshan pine trees are amazing, they grow straight out of the rocks on the peaks of the mountains and vary greatly in size and shape. Many of the trees in this area, are considered to be over 100 years old and have been given their own names. The area is well known for its magnificent scenery, with granite peaks and rocks emerging out of a sea of clouds. The mountaintops offer views of the clouds from above, known as the Sea of Clouds or "Huangshan Sea" because of the clouds resemblance to an ocean.

In most cases to enjoy the magnificence of a mountain, you have to look upwards. To enjoy Mount Huangshan, however, you've got to look downward. . . Huangshan is known as 'the lovelist mountain in China'. Many people have never visited Huangshan but know of its beauty through artists, poets and photographers who have been able to capture this mystical place through their talent and appreciation of this mountain.

Mount Huangshan has been said to have been visited by the 8 immortals, and in the Tang Dynasty around the 8th century, a legend described the mountain as the place of discovery of the long-sought after elixir of immortality. Chinese alchemists have spent centuries formulating elixirs of life; they are closely related with the use of plants, fungi and minerals in longevity formulas that are commonly practiced today. Some of these plants just happen to grow on the mountains of Huangshan.

PAGE 9 VOLUME 36, ISSUE 9 CALIFORNIA AISEKI KAI

Hopefully through this photographic visit of some amazing rock gardens in China and Japan, your love of rocks has been strengthened and with the visit to the mystical Mount Huangshan in China, you also experienced a greater appreciation for mountains. * * *

VOLUME 36, ISSUE 9 CALIFORNIA AISEKI KAI PAGE 10

A Matter of Course pairs viewing stones with works of fine art. Viewing stones is an umbrella term for stones that are collected and displayed for aesthetic purposes. Chinese stones are commonly called Scholar’s Rocks. Japanese stones are known as Suiseki. The viewing stones in this exhibition, which are from the collection of Thomas S. Elias and Hiromi Nakoji, are representative of the various forces that have shaped them – water, wind, heat, pressure, and human hands. The artworks in the exhibition are by artists whose creative process shares agency with non-human forces in a multiplicity of ways. They interrogate the arguable distinction between humankind and the ecosystems in which we co-exist. Oregon rancher Whit Deschner shows a salt lick shaped by the tongues of his neighbors’ cattle. John Knuth uses 45,000 houseflies which he feeds a mixture of sugar water and acrylic paint, to produce his (neo-) pointillistic paintings. Cole Sternberg engages the power of the waves to scrub his canvasses as he drags them through the water behind a power boat. Virginia Katz collaborates with the wind to generate the dense linear meshes that comprise her drawings. Tony Marsh’s ceramic vessels are the result of the unpredictable alchemy of the kiln, which Marsh embraces wholeheartedly rather than trying to control its results. Richard Turner’s drawings, which he produces by rolling ink and paint-covered river rocks back and forth over cold-press paper hundreds of times, oscillate between human and non-human agency. Candice Lin’s Putrefaction installation includes live koji mold as part of her rumination on the decay of the human body. Paul Harris’ sculptures pair stone and wood in intimate embrace. Cara Despain’s concrete casts of rocks invite us to travel to the Utah desert to experience the stones in situ. Jedediah Caesar’s piece appears to be a mineral specimen but in fact is a sculpture fashioned from resin, stones and an emu egg. Haley Hopkins’ and Alison Piries’ collaborative video installation presents the hypnotic movements of snails and contrasts it to our own motions in space. A catalogue with essays by Richard Turner, Thomas S. Elias and Kylie White accompanies the exhibition and will be available at the September 16, 2018 reception.

Co-curated by Richard Turner & Marcus Herse August 13 – September 23, 2018

Join us for the artist reception on Sunday, September 16, 2018 from 3:00-5:00pm

Guggenheim Gallery at Chapman University 1 University Dr, Orange, CA 92866 Monday – Friday 12:00 – 5:00 PM

Saturday 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM

~A Matter of Course ~ An Art Installation

September Contributors: Wanda Matjas, Richard Turner and Larry Ragle

Mailing: Flash Partch Editor: Nina Ragle

Contact People

PAGE 11 CALIFORNIA AISEKI KAI VOLUME 36, ISSUE 9

Newsletter Committee

We hope you will participate. Please send any submissions to ragle@cox.net no more than 10 days following our monthly meeting. Thank you!

California Aiseki Kai meets on the 4th Wednesday of each month at 7:30 pm at the Nakaoka Community Center located at 1670 W. 162nd St, Gardena, CA. Second floor. We do not meet in Nov-Dec.

Programs: Larry Ragle 949.497.5626 crimescene@cox.net Treasury/Membership: Nina Ragle 949.497.5626 ragle@cox.net Annual Exhibit: Jim Greaves 310.452.3680 jimgreaves@avsrc.org Exhibit Set Up: Marge Blasingame 626.579.0420 margerblasingame@gmail.com Refreshments: Janet Shimizu 310.822.6012 janet.shimizu46@gmail.com Beverages: Jack Levy 626.794.4572 jnlevy@earthlinknet Historian: Ray Yeager 760.365.7897 ryeager890@aol.com Webmail: Chris Cochrane 804.918.4636 sashaichris@gmail.com

Thanks to Joel Schwarz for sending the following: Rick Klauber 1945-2018

Rick has been a member of Aiseki Kai since 2012.

The following is taken from the Camano Island Studio Tour web site:

“Rick’s attraction to beautiful stones has been a lifelong passion. He used to collect agates and jaspers in the deserts of Southern California and eventually began making jewelry from found material. Soon

Rick started incorporating his woodworking skills, and over time this hobby morphed into a fascination with collecting natural stones that could be displayed in his home and garden. His artistic inspiration stemmed from being exposed to the Masters in his travels to Europe. Asian art also attracted Rick in his time spent in the Navy and travels in the Far East. Viewing Stone art became a melding of these interests for Rick. He discovered that there is a 1500 year history in Asia of collecting natural stones and displaying them in carved wooden bases. Through a combination of reading limited English literature on the subject and seeking out like minded individuals on the West Coast he has expanded his knowledge and skill in presentation techniques. The combination of natural stone (no visible surface alteration) and wood provides Rick with a creative presentation for the enjoyment of others. He displays natural stones to be microcosms of the natural world while providing an emotional response to viewers.”

Rick Klauber, “Tarns Along Peak Ridge”, Western Washington, 6.75 X 2.75 X 2.5

Rick Klauber passed away August 24 in a fishing boat accident near Westport, Washington. Rick was a member of Aiseki Kai and one of the leaders of the Viewing Stone Study Group that is affiliated with the Puget Sound Bonsai Association. He apparently was washed overboard when the small boat he and two companions were in was swamped by a very large wave. His companions searched for Rick but could not find him. So far his body has not been recovered and he is presumed dead. A memorial service for Rick is being planned for some time in September. Rick collected viewing stones from Peru to Alaska and a certain kind of black stone with green, yellow or red inclusions from the Skokomish River in Washington was nicknamed "Klauber Stone." He was a one of a kind type of guy and we will sorely miss him and his efforts to broaden appreciation of viewing stones as an art form.

Ragle P.O. Box 4975 Laguna Beach CA 92652

Coming Events

Leaves no stone unturned

ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED

aisekikai.com

Thank you to Phil Chang, Jesse Krong, Mika Breyfogle, Kyra Haussler, Joseph Gaytan and Tom Culton for the August appetite appeasers. Yum! Our September snacks will be provided by Hanne Povlsen, Linda Gill and Joseph Gaytan.

Refreshments

Always check Golden Statements Magazine Calendar section for additional coming events

Stone Sales Ken McLeod 209-605-9386 or 209 586-2881

suisekistones.com

Freeman Wang 626-524-5021 Suiseki-Viewing Stone Sale

stores.ebay.com/thestoneking

GSBF 41st CONVENTION “Creativity Taking Flight”, October 24-28, Sacramento, CA. McClellan Conference Center, 5411 Luce Ave., McClellan Park. In addition to bonsai, there will be a viewing stone exhibit as well as many vendors and a substantial raffle! Go to: http://www.gsbfconvention.org/

SAN DIEGO BONSAI CLUB 53rd Annual Fall Bonsai Show, Sept 29-30, Balboa Park, Casa del Prado, Room 101, San Diego. 10-5. Sales Area Info: sandiegobonsaiclub.com

CALIFORNIA AISEKI KAI Tanseki in the Yuha on November 3-4. Save the date! Details are coming.

CALIFORNIA AISEKI KAI 29th Annual Exhibition at The Huntington, December 26-30, 10-5. Set-up Dec 20. Save the dates. 5 days only. Preparation time is here!