Luis Vallejo Interview

By Pedro Paes
(Spainbonsai.com)

Luis Vallejo is very well known in the bonsai universe and any presentation is risked to remain short.  Even thus we dare, conscious that a part of the biography of this consecrated artist will remain in the ink bottle... but this, only intends to be a small introduction. 

Luis is born in Madrid in February of 1957. Is father own a greenhouse facility. Its infancy and adolescence are spend in a natural middle; the family breeding ground.  After finalizing the primary studies, enters in the School Technical superior of agronomists of Madrid. Even if its profession is landscape designer, he cultivates Bonsai since more than thirty years. Its beginnings as self-taught finish when he had courses, demonstrations and expositions with the teachers, J Naka, S Kato, M Kimura, among others. Gives conferences, demonstrations and workshops since 1985 in every Spain and other countries. Has published some books on Bonsai, and collaborates in magazines and publications worldwide.  It is, without doubt, the

(Q) How and when did you begin to be interested for the bonsai world?

(Q) What signifies nowadays the bonsai for you? 

In the year 2000, I wrote a book with the title "Bonsai, sculpture and nature". This book was published in Spain and France. I try to express what I associated to bonsai; the art, the nature and the poetry.  Is not a technical book it is a personal vision of what the bonsai world means to me.  I try in this book to undertake the Japanese philosophy.  The fixed metric, the capacity of synthesis, with the minimum express the maximum, and to be entered in the microcosm, associating art and nature. Today is one of my professional activities. 

(Q) The Municipal Museum of Bonsai of Alcobendas, is pioneer in its conception, not alone architectural, but also administrative (old by the City of Alcobendas). Why, in 1994 a Bonsai Museum? 

Everyone knows the fondness, since 1987, of D. Felipe Gonzalez (former-President of Spain) to the bonsai. This fact has created a media disclosure for the bonsai, and the historic opportunity of the creation of this museum.  In the epoch, the City Hall of Alcobendas was looking to redesign this space known as Arroyo de la Vega. Knowing my work as green space designer, the City Hall proposed me the creation of a museum of bonsai integrated in this green space in development.  We did a project, financed by the City Hall.  Thus, it was born the Municipal Museum of Bonsai. Is a  singular space in Spain and also worldwide, once it breaks the stereotyped traditional bonsai museum style, to innovate so much by the processing given to the space, as by the materials used in its construction, like the ground, walls, pedestals, etc.  It is a space where the trees have a privileged place as a sculptural element. 
The management of the museum is born of a union of interests.  On one hand, the City Hall has not the technical capacity to manage a space with these characteristics and by the other, I, (not integrated in any commercial system), needed a place where to have my private collection.  Thus, I lend my collection to the museum to be exposed, and the museum pays the maintenance costs and conservation.  The museum is open to the public, and we have arranged innumerable visits for Schools from Madrid and from all Spain.

(Q) How do you see the bonsai evolution in Spain trough all these (many) years?
 
Yes, it is true that I accompany the bonsai truly since its starts.  By the 70`s, when someone said “bonsai” and the people asked you ¿bon… what? 
The truth is that the bonsai had many difficulties. Happily, we are collecting now the fruit of the media projection of the past. For that contribute, (as I sad before), D. Felipe Gonzalez (former President of the Spanish Government).  Today, in this exposition, that the majority of authors they are quite young people, from among 25 and 45 years, whom take the past impulse fro the late 80`s.  I see this, reflected in the great quality of the trees exposed in this edition of the contest.  I think that the artistic quality and technique of Spain has a similar level to the country of European reference: Italy. 
The authors begin, in Spain, to seek her own trees for the artistic expression, what shows a high degree of quality, and above all collecting the formal parts of the oriental aesthetics and applying it in indigenous trees.  In fact, this exposition is practically done with indigenous trees, and the level of quality is evident.

(Q) What lack and what exceeds in the national culture of the bonsai? 

I believe that what lacks is to consolidate the teaching. Now that the different publications, magazines, etc. assure the promotion, perhaps we should unify criteria in matter of formation. An effort as been do, but it will be interesting to consolidate criteria on this theme.  Exceeding, good, what is used to exceeding in any human activity, the envies and the small stinginess, but without being something that come to influence the world of the bonsai.  Neither a lot of importance would give it.

(Q) Why organize the national selection of the contest "Gingko Bonsai Awards" at the Municipal Museum of Bonsai of Alcobendas? 

We have participate in the Gingko Bonsai Awards almost since its starts, and in all the participations, along the years, we have been always rewarded. These prizes had grown our prestige in the same measure that the prestige of the contest went growing also.  Speaking with the organizer, Danny Use, we conclude that a prior selection in the country of origin should be done. What better opportunity than causing to coincide this contest with the biennial celebration of the Museum of Alcobendas, witch is an independent company (city hall management), without commercial bonds.
It has done from us to be the national reference, and on the other hand, I help Gingko to be a world and European reference.
We bet on Gingko because I believe that has the same criterion and spirit that us, and this is seen in the level of the trees exposed.

(Q) Can a European artist succeed in the bonsai world? 

Yes, I suppose.  The bonsai is nowadays a universal art.  The nature is at the reach of all.  I believe that will be a question of time, dedication and learning. 

(Q) Has you any preferred species? Witch you have a special feeling?  

(Q) Do you remember especially some tree formed by yourself? 

There are various.  Unfortunately, these last two years we have had some problems with the white pines and exactly one of them, that we called "the number one" has died.  This does, after 15 or 20 years working and taking care of a tree, realize that these trees are transformed into some beings friends, and when a problem of this type occurs, (and cannot be solved), carry you a tremendous sadness. 

(Q) You have trees worked by teachers of the level of Kato, Kimura, Terakawa (to mention just some) ¿that is learned of those encounters? 

I expect to have learned something. You learn to see the things of a simpler form, to perceive the nature of a more intuitive form.  The Japanese are not as analytic as we, and al to work with you impregnate you of that atmosphere, grasped through a look, a gesture… Since my beginnings, I had the luck to work with Naka in some workshops, my old friendship with Kimura, and the privilege to work with Saburo Kato. I expect to have learned something of these encounters. 

(Q) Witch plans have you for the future?

For an immediate future, we are finished right now the project of a new museum in the south of Madrid, in Parla, the Botanical Garden of Parla – Museum Bonsai.  This project received the XIII Prize Alhambra, offered by the AJARP (Spanish Association of Parks and Public Gardens) that is the most important prize for projects of public parks in Spain. 
We are the responsible by the conservation and management of the bonsai collection of the Royal Botanical Garden of Madrid, which is a public museum in a privileged location in the city centre of Madrid. We have done some arrangements with Japan in order to receive donated collections to consolidate this collection. It is our intention to become one of the most important collections, on a worldwide basis, (outside of Japan) jointly with in National Arboretum in the US.
I believe that these two projects will be the reference in a nearby future. 

Many thanks, by attending us and god luck for the new projects.
From Spainbonsai.com, we will do all the possible by supporting and to divulge these projects.