Is Takashi Amano the Greatest of All Time (even today)?

I have only seen one film of him working on a big tank.

First impression is he is a thinker not a doer by that I mean he is the "Architect" who dreams up these ideas but gets others to work out how to do it.

This happens a lot in the building industry, they think it up but have no idea if it can be done and when its finished they take the credit not the actual people who work it out and do the job

Get him to do it solo might be a totally different outcome.

Now that does not mean I do not like his end results.

Keith

For me, Amano is definitly one of the Greatest. He has made the aquascaping popular and he is
a pioneer. The most of his creations looks very natural an health. I like to watch pictures an Videos of his layouts.
Would he take part with one of his layouts in the IAPLC, in my opinion he would not be among the first 10 places
In these series you can find the Cliff Hui´s and Dave Chow´s. They make a lot more detail and more natural than Amano.

For me at the moment, Cliff Hui ist the Greatest.
His scapes have a very natural look and i love his detail amorousness.

@keithgh
So, what you're saying, something like Steve Jobs, but have no idea how its work for real?
Anyway, it's about a vision, that is a main premise for this kind of hobby/art and considering that,probably Takashi has the most influence on any of us. He is definitely a pionir still leading a main word when it cames to aquascaping

Ha! Noticed George and Steven Lo from AquaForest among the participants who got "fixed". I don't know. I think Amano "fixed" some of them, while others were about the same. I don't like the word "fixed" though because scaping is so subjective, and this little exercise didn't take into consideration the planting that would come later. As just a hardscape, it only has so much meaning. I am comfortable with "I changed your scape so that it might come out better in the end", but to categorically just say "there, it is fixed!" just seems to miss the point of art.

The idea that Amano is "the Greatest of All Time" is an interesting debate. Can one artist of any medium be "the greatest of all time"? You can certainly have "the most prolific", or "the most innovative for his medium", or "the most respected by his peers", or "the most influential", but the term "greatest" in and of itself means very little minus more context. I do think it's safe to say that he has consistently made fantastic, inspiring scapes that have stood the test of time, and that he has been the most influential of all time. No doubt, he is also the most well-known aquascaper ever, and there isn't a close second.

How would Amano do if he entered IAPLC and the judges were blind to the participant names and therefore could not be subconsciously swayed? I think he's a top 100 guy who is capable of going top 10. Winning the event itself would be like horse racing. You can have the most talented horse, but the track, the weather, the field, and a whole lot of luck come into play. In the end, we are lucky that we have someone so influential who is still so prominent and relevant. Every time his work amazes and inspires a new person to the hobby to try their hand at a planted tank, it's a win for our community.

He is talented, and I respect him. He does great, but what is a MINOR buzzkill for me is that well... like the first responder to the OP said, he is a thinker and not a do-er. I mean whats more fun than saying YOU made this. and that you got your hands dirty etc. Now, bare in mind, im sure if he went to work, he would destroy anything I have made to current date. But in the bigger scapes, I feel that maybe he... i dunno, not that he thinks to highly of him self, but I sense something around there. just my opinion. Though who knows, maybe if I met him, things would change. BUT, his work is great, and I have learned from him.

I think some of what you sense with this is a bit of "lost in translation".

Amano definitely ranks among the greatest, IMHO. One reason is how widely his works are publicized and known. He set a standard and popularized a style. Not many individuals can say that... As far as thinker over doer....he started by making tanks on his own. Even DaVinci had apprentices and other aspiring artists replicating his works within his studio so he could sell more paintings. I agree with Juri, he is a master of hardscape and his ability to see the scape from conception to completion in a single moment and then executing that vision is rare among scapers, only the best can do it consistently.

So, he is great because of 1)his vision 2) worldwide recognition 3)consistency 4) quality 5)execution ...just to name a few.

I don't think his scapes would rank among top 10 currently because those scapers are really pushing the boundaries and creating something unique. A lot of the gallery scapes, etc. stick with a great formula and are not aimed at competition. It would be interesting to see him enter a scape intended for a competition under a "pen name" and reveal it was his scape later. That would be tough to keep a secret however...

I do agree with you. Especially with your DaVinci reference. Amano, without a doubt is a talented man, but I almost feel that, just to make his work complete, a bit more participation would like to be seen. At least thats how I feel. From my audience opinion I think it would be more engaging if he participates. Its like how some celebrities lip sync. For those who know, its just not the same respect or satisfaction as if they were actually singing.

As for a secret name, scaping contest... He can be on undercover boss! XD If his company was much larger though im sure it may be easier.

He is the first to incorperate the seven artistic principles of Zen Buddhism into tank scapes. A prime example of this is Iwagumi; a style of scape singlehandedly created by him for the aquarium. Before he did this, such art forms were only to be found in the traditional terrestrial garden or flower pot.. Japanese people are practically born with a sense of the artistic and steeped in art from birth. He was definitely at the right places at the right times to promote this hobby to a high art form. When you have the funding and where with all to put a tank the size of your garage into your home/living room and display it in the space reserved as the tokonoma- people will take notice. He was the first to see the aquarium as a canvas for art versus a place for plastic plants and bubbling treasure chests. We must give credit where credit is due. But remember that there are great artists in many different art forms. Previously Amano was mentioned with DaVinci. But during DaVinci's time and after there was Jackson Pollock, MichealAngelo, Thomas Moran, Goya, El Greco, Monet, Renoir, Piccasso, and Warhol. The same will happen with aquascaping. There will be other amazing artists who will take it places that Amano and DaVinci never dreamed of. I just hope that judges have the guts to recognize true talent...we'll see.

Amano will stay in history as the greatest aquascapist ever. But it is sad that he is still alive and he cannot show anything of value any more. For about 5 years now he has not shown a single original aquascape. Only feeble attempts to introduce a few interesting eelements. What we see of him and ADA today is just momentum and salesmanship.

One recent example for that, sadly, are the two big aquariums he setup - 4 and 7 meters. If you like them ask yourself the question "Will this tank rank high in Amano's own competition?" The answer is "No.". The two tanks were a marketing trick to make the audience gasp in amazement. But as aquascapes they are average at best. Although still undeveloped it is hard to admit the sad fact - the aquascapes in both amazing tank sizes are a failure.

Another example are the daily posts of ADA tanks on YouTube. Despite the insane productivity it is impossible to see anything truly new. If you have been in this hobby for several years the daily videos will not shock you with anything.

Many of Amano's tanks show very well that he has an excellent feel for aesthetic rules. But at the same time he also produces tanks that impress most people but are meant to maintain sales and nothing else. I used to think that the man has an inexhaustible source of creativity. I cannot say this today any more.

Amano is the reason most of us are in the hobby today. He will always be the best. His influence is so far reaching that is it very rare to see original aquascapes that do not contain amanoesque elements. Whoever finds a way to get away from what Amano has already done in the fine details will lead this hobby into the future.

I am not in the "Amano is God" line in any way, but I think you underestimate his scapes. He's the anti-gimmick right now. He's hyper aware of the trends in scaping, but he chooses not to indulge in them most of the time because he's a copy cat. Who's he copying? Himself. If he jumped on every new trend out there, he would lose respect in my book. I want Amano to be Amano, and that's nature above all else. Let's be realistic though because one cannot say the same thing about the top of the aquascaping heap right now. Last year's winner is drop-dead gorgeous, of course, but it's also a glued together scape. The runner up sticking 80 branches to create the perspective scape. All the top 10 are beautiful scapes, but at some point, nature runs out of ideas. If you walk into the forest tomorrow, you aren't going to be mesmerized by something no one has ever seen before. Nature is beautiful for it's subtly and not for its innovation. Amano gets that, and he is still a master at creating mood.

To answer this question one will have to consider a comparisson point. No one can be the greatest when mentioned alone.

Actually in the Netherlands aquarists started talking about aquascaping in the 1930s and then Amano wasn't born yet.
The earliest known images of a planted aquariums are from the end of the 19th century, England. Amano's grand father wasn't born yet.
The aquascapes that Amano has touched in the video only look like what Amano would have done in the first place. Remember that it is easier to fix one's design mistakes than to come up with new and original design.

Actually Amano's ideas about nature are not so natural. Some of his concepts of creating image (aquascape) are not in resonance with the basic rules in nature.
Can you please tell us how do you know of what Amano is hyper aware? Did hi tell you him self?

As you said those art forms were to be found in gardens. Amano did not invented them, but he definitely was the first to incorporate them in aquariums.

No they are definitely not. All Asian art including Japanese is in basics two dimensional as it was in all ancient cultures. The higher form of 3 dimensional art expressions were invented in Europe, not in japan or anywhere in Asia for that matter. Just look at how many Asian artists of any kind are trying to copy European arts. Who in Europe is doing the opposite?

He was not the first in this regard either. The Dutch were.

This is how icons are created out of ordinary people. Amano is a very good aquascaper and a businessman to say at the least, but to mention him anywhere near those great artists is non sense.

+ 1 from me on this one.
Only to add a bit of balance. Amano did it all for business reasons, not from any kind of art impulse.
I have to give this credit to the Japanese that they are extremely efficient in business matters.

Is Amano the greatest? God is great, but Amano is not a God. So he can not be the greatest.
Then what is left is to consider if he is great, how great he is.

I would say definitely one of the big names in aquatic history, the most popular name today for sure, briliant plant grower and aquascaper.
Genius when it comes to putting everything together that will lead to ADA sucsess.
A nice guy that have contributed to the cultural history of planet Earth on a very large scale.

But for Amano as for many others there is a piedestal only in the hearts of those who believe so.

Go ahead and define, specifically, how his ideas are "not in resonance" with nature. That's a broad critique that is meaningless minus any detail.

As for your obviously rhetorical question about Amano being hyper aware, are you really contending that someone who judges IAPLC every year, has created thousands of scapes, is a grandfather of the hobby, and the author of many best selling books is somehow ignorant of his medium? Your contention falls flat on its face. Have you actually read his books? I own all the well known titles.

"Did hi tell you himself?" If he did tell me himself, his words would be meaningless. It is his actions, his body of work, and not his words which convey a story. Talk is cheap. He has proven beyond any reasonable measure that he is indeed "hyper aware", and trying to argue with you to the contrary is like trying to argue with my niece which flavor of ice-cream is superior.

Some flaws of the so called aquascaping rules invented by Amano.
1. The basic use of carpeting plants that are lighter in colour shade than any other plant of decoration used in the background.
In nature is the opposite. light colour shades are on the back side of the view, dark colour shades are in the front.
Only in few cases the lighter colours of grass field in nature are consistent with some of the aquascapes.
2. The use of small plants and elements in the front (foreground) and then the use of all larger plants and elements on the back.
In nature is the opposite. Everithyng that is closer looks bigger. It is a basic law of optical perspective that is a bit twisted in the aquascaping rules.

Regarding 2. Amano have attempted in few cases to combat this situation with some of his scapes in NA gallery, but they weren't much of a sucsess. I am talking about the so called "perspective style".

I could continue on this one, but I suppose it will hurt some folks blind admiration.