Should Figurines and "toys" go into an aquascape?

[John N.]

Imagine a planted aquarium with a village in the mist the aquascape. Imagine a small train coming out of a jungle of java fern and into a surrounding field of glosso foreground.

I know many of us like to capture the essence of nature into an aquarium. For that reason, we see so many aquascapes that are near perfect slices of nature with lush plants and seemingly naturally placed drfitwood. But in reality most places aren't untouched by human influences and our constructs. We'll see dams, roadways, log houses, and small camps in many areas of nature today.

So, wouldn't it be interesting if an aquascape captured a "real" reality of what nature looks like today? Should figurines and inanimate objects to represent our human influences go into an aquascape? Or do you think the focus of planted aquariums be on nature in its purest form?

-John N.

[st3v3]

That is a good question. If it is done in an interesting and well executed way, then it can be attractive. Having said that, I personally am not crazy about Taiwanese style scapes. There is no question it is an art form but as a matter of preference I think staying as close to pure nature is a better approach to scaping. You're right that humans have been invasive into nature but there are places in the world that are still pure. I think I would be shocked if Amano did a scape that included little figurines. Not to stay that whatever he does is the law of aquaria. Perhaps Amano has done that in the past. It just seems that we have all evolved to appreciate and capture nature as best as we can.

[Anti-Pjerrot]

I use aquascaping to capture the nature - untuched by man. So placing unnatural objects is the worst thing imaginable for me.

I dont find any scapes appealing if they contain unnatural objects.

[Robert Henry]

Very interesting question. While I lean more toward the natural look, I agree that if done right it could make for an interesting display. But John's question, and Anti-Pjerrot's response, raised another thought in my mind. We've all seen aquasacpes that resemble nature - a tree on a hill, the edge of a forest. Imagine that type of aquascape with other elements of nature that you could expect to see in such a scene. Deer at the edge of a forest, cows on a hillside. I don't think I've ever seen an aquarium like that.

[oregonaqua]

All tho im not a huge fan most of the time, i have seen some scapes with figurines in it that just look right! First one off the top of my head are some by Oliver Knott. check out his site Oliver Knott the aqua creator's Photo Galleries at pbase.com go to his theme and exhibition sections some really amazing tanks and ideas he has.

Thiis one is off the aquabotanic website and one of my favorites.

[fishman9809]

i find this nicer:



made by same guy.

[dougz]

I'm not a fan..

It looks kitschy..

Though that one above with the Buddha looks pretty cool!!

[akmal]

here's another point to consider:

by saying that we try to capture the purest nature in our aquascapes, untouched by man etc, are we thinking that we HUMANS are not part of nature itself? Think about it for a second...if aliens (if they exist) were to look at the Earth eco-system, how would they view human? IMHO they'd see us as they would see other animals - Fauna, omnivourous mammals, homosapeins; as we are part of natural system.

of course i admit that we human beings are a bit greedy, building large structures, clearing large areas for development etc.

in aquascaping context, how would you define mixing plants native to the Amazon and South East Asia for example? Is it "capturing nature" at its purest? Natural look perhaps but far from pure nature IMO.

That said, I wouldn't mind looking at figurines & toys or even man-made structures in the scape, as long as it fits the theme. I'm not a fan tho but if its done right, it'll be one nice to look at

[Anti-Pjerrot]

To be more precise, i try to make a scene from nature that appeals to me. Something that captures the feel of a facinating landscape, but still leaves room to imagination.

Even though we and our creations are a part of nature, seen from a certain perspectinve, along with beaverdams and birds nests, they dont nessesary bring anything positive to a landscape.

Aquascaping is also very good at creating feelings and thoughts of uncertanty. The "beyond" the tank feeling is something the same or better than paintings or photography. Think about an awesome nature photo. Then think whats behind the camera. It could be more stunning nature, a group of tourists, a steaming hot pool of industrial waste or a concrete jungle... We dont know, but i think we prefer to imagine more nature...

For some years ago i thougt that something like the buddah tank by Oliver Knott were cool, and also his big AGA entry with fake wood.
But now im more focused on finding things that dont fit into the whole nature appearence. A wrong colored stone, a branch cutted wrong ect. Minor details.

There is no doubt that Syrah and the allike is going to bring an edge to the hobby, since there I feel there is a balance to how far we should create nature. ´
I feel its important to leave some sence of imagination to the viewer and not create excact copies of a landscape to every detail.

For Syrah the use of moss to create leaf/branches are done so well since it still dont look like a tree in details, but only uses a certain plant to create the illution of one.

[Jur4ik]

Amano says: "Try to have a feeling for nature, but do not copy it."

imo this is simply the best philosophy about nature aquariums - aquascaping has become many different styles and there might others be better.

[GreenReef]

…inspired by F. Oliveira I created in April/2007 a "Bonsai" with HC cuba and I added Cladophora-Palms for a surreal Aquascape









a plant is born

[Dave Spencer]

Each to their own but, personally, I would rather beat my tongue wafer thin with a meat tenderiser than have figurines and toys in any of my scapes.

Dave.

[George Farmer]

It's a matter of taste, of course.

Most aquascapers prefer purely 'natural' products in their tanks, but some artifice can work IMO, if it's done tastefully.
]
But one man's 'tastefully' is different to another...

[John N.]

Originally Posted by Robert Henry

We've all seen aquasacpes that resemble nature - a tree on a hill, the edge of a forest. Imagine that type of aquascape with other elements of nature that you could expect to see in such a scene. Deer at the edge of a forest, cows on a hillside. I don't think I've ever seen an aquarium like that.

Great input so far everyone. I agree with everyone thoughts about folks appreciating and viewing planted aquariums differently. Afterall, an aquascaped planted aquarium is a living piece of art.

With that said, I think Robert touched on where I was going with this discussion. Creating layouts with figurines, statues and edifices could be used as accenting pieces or even focal points to our scape to make our scapes unique and fresh.

Oregonaqua already has shown Oliver Knott's scape with the large statue. It's a great example of what can be done along this train of thought.

Originally Posted by st3v3

I think I would be shocked if Amano did a scape that included little figurines. Not to stay that whatever he does is the law of aquaria. Perhaps Amano has done that in the past.

Great point. Very, very few people have used figurines and such, perhaps because like some of you have said it's not in their artistic taste. But I sometimes wonder if our artistic tastes are programmed to view planted aquariums only as landscapes, jungles, and hedges of trimmed aquatic plants.

Since Amano has influenced so many of us to view nature as he does maybe it takes another aquascaper/artist to show us a new way of thinking outside the box. As we see more aquascapes done with figurines maybe more people will realize what can be acheived and help us ultimately change our perception of a Nature Planted aquarium. As Akmal stated above, Humans and our influences on the Earth are apart of Nature too.

-John N.

[John N.]

After looking again at the picture Oregon Aqua posted in Post #5 of the statue sitting in the middle of the scape, I am interested to see more examples of aquascapes like that have used figurines. There's just something very calming about the whole scape.

Anyone know of any more examples?

-John N.

[Xema]

Oliver Knott in the last years is becoming in a quite representative expression of the non-natural aquascapes -at least under my point or view-.















I do not like this kind of bizarre aquascape, where plants and animals do not represent their rules.

[Orlando]

Why not! I think it looks pretty neat

[trenac]

Each day in the real world nature is taken away from us, more & more as time goes by. For this reason a "natural" looking scape is more appealing to me.

However, I do think that the Budah statue in that particuliar scape looks natural enough to make it appealing to me. It looks like it belongs there. But the scapes with the plastic cows, panda's, etc is just un-natural; which just looks corney to me. I do think they are fun to look at though, just not appealing.

[Orlando]

My thoughts exactly!^^^

[Xema]

This situation is quite familiar for me. I am over 20 years into the Bonsai culture, since my childhood.
Bonsai hobby has a similar developing through the years. Bonsai just meaning enjoying with a tree into a pot, any reference to the size. It´s a millennial art which closer men to nature watching how a tree develops thanks to your care, size is not relevant. After occidental imported this art, it is becoming in a cute way to keep a mini-tree, with figurines on the pot...

I can see most of aquascaper into the iwagumi style get their inspiration from the zen gardens. And this is same of the same, a schematic way to closer nature to men, and again is corrupted, becoming itself by occidental mind in a cute way to have a mini-landscape in the star-room.

I think nature is a really good resource for inspiration, and as we are into the aquaria world, I think we need get it from Aquatic scenes.

When I sarted in the hobby, hobbier paid lot of attetino to fishes, leaving in a second plane plants and scaping. When we start to pay attention to the aquaria as a close enviroment where are needed plants, soil, microorganims, and so, we start to leave in a second plane fishes, giving main importance to scape, becoming fishes in birds, or something like....

That is my personal point of view about.