Universities and colleges all have art galleries. Most are free and open to the public. They also tend to have very interesting exhibits that just don’t fit in with the Art museums. It’s easy to say, you live in LA, it’s an exciting city. This is true, but check out your own home towns, I think you will be surprised by what you find. Yesterday I went to Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, to see this exhibit.
We all know that origami is a Japanese form of paper folding. What you may not know is that in Japan it was mostly cranes, frogs and flowers. Once it was exported out into the world people started creating many more complex shapes. Robert J. Lang was a Laser Engineer, these days he is solely an origami artist, although one who combines mathematics and science – origami is about much more than art.
This fellow was the first on to greet me when I entered the gallery. I LOVE owls. All of these creations are made from one piece of paper, no cuts only folds. The size of the paper ranged from 4″ – 18″ squares. Different types of paper were used.
In this case, two pieces of paper, one for the moose and one for the base.
Getting each individual scale on the snake is mind boggling.
It’s not just animals, it’s bowls as well.
On the walls were enlarged diagrams of how the folds create different shapes. I’m including this here, even though I don’t understand this in the least.
No glue is used, it’s all fold and tuck. In this case the paper itself is part of the beauty of the object
Here is an example of a shape created out of many pieces of paper. Modular origami, the structures is held together by friction and tension. I like that not only did I capture the shadow, but also the reflection on the top of the glass case.
Although this looks very complex to me, my guess it that it is easier to make than an animal – since all the folds are symmetrical.
This tiling diagram explains the mathematics of how this all works. Of course to me these are great examples of quilting designs I need to try out.
Not paper, copper mesh. Which makes this very hard to get those small tight folds.
Print of a columbine flower, see all the fold lines? That is because this is what it looks like when completed.
Proof that there isn’t a single cut in the paper – this flower comes from one piece of printed paper.
This guy is small, made from a 4″ paper. He is probably slightly larger than the real thing.
Based on Robert Lang’s work, a Japanese artist created this display of bugs. I don’t particularly like bugs in real life – but these are incredible in their realistic detail. I can’t figure out how he gets those legs and antennas without a single cut. Sometimes it is good simply to be amazed and not understand the answer
Here the interest isn’t only in the folded paper – it’s also in the paper itself. Each fish is made from a unique handmade paper, the colors are natural elements included as the paper is being made. The resulting designs are unique to each fish, as a group – you really get the sense of looking a pond of real fish.
Color diagram how folding sequence. I see this as a very cool modern quilt design.
So in closing, all I can say is – if you are in the LA area, go to Pasadena. Go see these creations with your own eyes and be amazed. Art Center itself is worthy of it’s own post, which I hope to get up soon.
Leah