As I mentioned in last week's posting, Ikebana International Melbourne was given three adjacent sites at this year's Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show. This was in recognition of the 60th anniversary of our Chapter and allowed each school to create a large installation on the theme of 'Green Bamboo and Autumn'. The Ichiyo School had an 8 metre width in the centre of the site and the other four schools had 3 x 3 metres.
This photo shows the length of the whole site when almost everyone had finished working on the last set-up day. Because the site was 20 metres long it is impossible to take a front on photo. In order from the left the schools are: Sogetsu, Ikenobo, Ichiyo, Ohara and Shogetsudo Koryu.
The photo above taken in the transept also gives some idea of the magnificent structure that is the Great Hall of the 1880 Royal Exhibition Building.
At the right-hand end of the site was the Shogetsudo Koryu installation. Six long bamboo poles were arranged at an angle creating a dynamic sense of movement. Fine strips of bamboo cascade from the tops of the bamboo with flowers cascading on the right-hand side.
Next was the Ohara School with bamboo radiating from a central mass of chrysanthemums, maple branches and arching branches of rose-hips.
The Ichiyo installation was a progression of torii gates in unpainted wood in a long 'S' curve across the site. These were adorned with a variety of branches and autumn materials. At the centre was a large basin of still water across the top of which sat a large piece of gnarled wood and a branch of deep green camellia leaves.
The Ikenobo School was to the left of the torii gates. Their installation used strong vertical lines of green bamboo. Two stands were clustered together with pine and maple the main elements.
At the far left of the site was the Sogetsu School installation. Added to the structure I showed last week are branches of hawthorn berries and two masses of red dwarf nandina, a larger one at the front and smaller at the right rear.
Our installation was at the end of the site and able to be seen from the left side as well. This left an open space toward the left rear that was emphasised by having a single curve of split bamboo passing through. The photo above was taken while standing on a ladder to 'silhouette' the work against the back wall.
Greetings from Christopher
31st March 2019
Thank you for sharing all the photos of this event.
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