Bonsai Mirai: Asymmetry

Asher Fulero & Josh Casey

On this special episode of Asymmetry, Ryan sits down with two remarkable musicians: Asher Fulero (who's worked for years as a musician with bands like Emancipator and his own projects, and as a producer and composer) and bassist Josh Casey (also a bonsai practitioner). Ryan, Lime, Asher, and Josh dig in deep to open the idea and concept of creativity, how it's represented in music, and how it ties a common thread through all different art forms. They dive into art vs. craft, the production process, and how those ideas cross disciplines. And of course, there are some great stories from the road. Hosted by Ryan Neil Recorded by Michael Lime Allen Opening music from Asher Fulero Band's album Catching Air. For more music from Asher Fulero, check out https://asherfulero.bandcamp.com/

Good Morning with Todd Schlafer

On this episode of Asymmetry, join Ryan, Troy, Lime, and great friend of Mirai Todd Schlafer (https://www.firstbranchbonsai.com/) as they catch up on our earliest-recorded podcast to date–7am. They discuss artificial intelligence, that day's incredible sunrise, and debrief Ryan's trip to Italy. All four of them share their highlights of 2018, and their aspirations for the new year. Hosted by Ryan Neil Recorded by Michael Lime Allen

Pacific Bonsai Museum's LAB Project

This episode of Asymmetry was recorded after the first meeting of the Pacific Bonsai Museum LAB project: the Living Art of Bonsai. This is a first-of-its-kind of program, based on an artist-in-residency model, providing bonsai artists the opportunity to create works of art outside the limitations of the marketplace. Featured artists Ryan Neil, Ron Lang, and Austin Heitzman each provided a unique piece of work drawing inspiration from a Frank Lloyd Wright home. In this groundbreaking unedited conversation, hear intense discussion about process and control as an artist, an artist’s ingrained default responses to design, and how to face and wrestle with artistic challenges. For more information on Pacific Bonsai Museum's LAB Project, check out http://pacificbonsaimuseum.org/lab/ Recorded & edited by Michael Lime Allen Guests: Aaron Packard, Ryan Neil, Ron Lang, and Austin Heitzman

Julian Voss-Andreae

Julian Voss-Andreae is a modern sculptor of paramount proportions. His work touches on his background in physics and his life growing up in another country–both factors that have tremendously influenced his style and curiosity. From the shape of a bioluminescent protein to quantum physics extrapolated into artistic form, he’s an innovator in the modern art movement. In this episode of Asymmetry, he joined Ryan for a deep dive on sculpture, form, his own work, and how bonsai can occupy a space in modern art. Hosted by Ryan Neil Recorded and edited by Michael Lime Allen

Mirai Happy Hour

In this episode of Asymmetry, meet the new members of the Mirai team–the folks behind the scenes producing the Mirai Live stream, videos, blog posts, and answering your every email. Ryan & the team sit down for a post-work hangout and discuss first jobs, interests both in and outside bonsai, and generally get to know each other better. We promise you'll learn something new about every member of the team. Hosted by Ryan Neil Recorded & edited by Michael Lime Allen

Socks, Ceramics, and Augmented Reality

After two cross-country trips together, and several podcasts in between, Ryan and Lime sit down to catch up. They discuss a vast variety of topics, including but not limited to quality socks, a 360 degree view of a tree through an augmented reality headset, Lime’s venture into bonsai ceramics, and more. Hosted by Ryan Neil Recorded & edited by Michael Lime Allen

Telperion Farms

In this episode of Asymmetry, Ryan sits down with Telperion Farms owner Chris Kirk and his collaborator Gary Woods to dive into the intricacies of field-grown bonsai material. They discuss the nuances of timing, preparing the material before it’s planted in the field, adding movement, pruning while in the field, and generally maximizing the field environment to create the best bonsai material possible. If you have questions about field-grown material or are thinking of cultivating your own bonsai material, this episode is a must-listen. Hosted by Ryan Neil Recorded & edited by Michael Lime Allen

Student Roundtable

On this episode of Asymmetry, join Ryan and a group of longtime Mirai students--most recently part of our Advanced Elongating Species class--for a discussion that gets deep into what it means to practice bonsai. This group has a tremendous amount of experience and knowledge in all their chosen endeavors, and this episode digs into the cerebral aspects that each student pulls from their life into their bonsai practice. It’s an instrumental conversation on evolving the idea of what it means to speak bonsai on a higher level, look at bonsai with more mature eyes, and what it means to be a practitioner without the obligations of being a professional.

David Segal

In this episode of Asymmetry, Ryan dialogues with David Segal, an Australian bonsai professional and longtime friend of Mirai. Their conversation is a powerful one: they tackle the tough questions a bonsai practitioner must ask when looking to use bonsai to represent one’s environment and culture. They discuss Australian bonsai going through growing pains to find its voice, utilizing native species, and the Australian National Bonsai Collection in Canberra’s evolution. Though this episode gets serious, as with any episode of Asymmetry, there’s plenty of laughs shared as well. Hosted by Ryan Neil Recorded and edited by Michael Lime Allen

Tales from the Covered Wagon (Pt. 2)

In part two of this episode, join Ryan & Lime for the second half of their cross-country journey home from the U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition in Rochester, NY. On this leg of the journey, they stop in Denver to take in a bit of the local bonsai culture. They also cross the Rocky Mountains–the backbone of America–which catalyzes some interesting conversations on the weather, driving for a living, and of course, bonsai. Hosted by Ryan Neil Recorded by Michael Lime Allen Edited by Jesus Contreras