Morning everyone, it’s Tom here. I thought I’d pop in today to share with you some of the odd but interesting things I’ve been doing recently with paper and light.
As many of you know, I REALLY like paper! I’ve previously waxed lyrical about the properties of papers and how they fundamentally inform the final presentation of my photographs as made things. I have also written about the joys of using decorative papers in my bookbinding. But I can honestly say I’ve never really thought all that much about the structural and sculptural potential of paper and how I might start to incorporate this into my practice . . . until a month or so ago, when Kate spotted this this book and thought that I might find it interesting.
Paul Jackson, Folding Techniques for Designers: From Sheet to Form
She was right! I was instantly intrigued.
Unlike many kids, I never experimented with origami when I was younger, and it was, in fact, only when I began working with bookbinding and photographic prints that I really began to enjoy the properties and potential of paper. Paul Jackson’s book immediately opened my eyes to the many fascinating and beautiful things that can be done with just one sheet!
The guidance for creating simple structures in the early pages of the book is pretty thorough, and once you get the hang of the folding basics you’re away.
Very soon, I was creating interesting shapes with my single sheets of paper . . .
. . .and finding the activity of folding, bending and re-folding paper strangely addictive, and highly rewarding.
I was struck straight away by how the shapes I formed were simultaneously organic, textural and “real” – undoubtedly made by hand – while also being clean, precise and graphic.
And as I sat folding my papers and watching how the light is reflected, shaded or transmitted through each surface, my photographers eye was repeatedly piqued
I found that, when rendered flat in a photograph, each of my simple little structures took on a wonderfully abstract aspect – 3 dimensional and 2 dimensional at the same time – perhaps almost Cubist!
Indoors for much of the day at the moment, I’m really enjoying photographing my folded papers and am finding that the graphic simplicity of their structures is providing me with a really interesting opportunity to think about light.
My friend Ted Forbes has just re-launched the well-loved “Photo Assignments” section on his “The Art of Photography” YouTube channel. These have been very popular in the past with a real sense of community and collective learning developing around each assignment. In these times of global household isolation, Ted is focusing on projects people can easily do at home. I hope these assignments will provide a platform for those who like to take photographs to come together, to share ideas and support and encourage one another. If you enjoy photography, you might like to follow Ted’s channel, and join me in creating work for the first assignment?
The first assignment of Ted’s new series involves observing and using available light. I immediately thought that one of my little folded paper structures might act as a good subject to observe the changing light through the course of the day (all of the images you see here in this post were shot using the available light through our downstairs window) so I’ve a few to choose from for the first assignment’s submissions.
As I’m sure you can probably tell, I’m now rather excited about the aesthetic potential of folded, scrunched, ripped, curved and curled paper – both as a subject, and as a medium too, for images. And I’m still only on chapter 1 of Paul Jackson’s fantastic book!
If any of you have origami, or paper folding recommendations for me (books? websites? channels?) I’d be very interested to hear about them. Thankyou!
Look after yourselves, and each other.
Tom
The creativity in your household continues to amaze me! Thank you.
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Your work is very beautiful… Thank you. (Though couldn’t access the Gallery offered.) Thank you especially for the terrific atmospheric video of Malin Head, on the Inishowen Peninsula in Donegal – I’ve been there! There is, or used to be, a super little hostel there, right at the end, from where whales could sometimes be seen & with whale bones on the terrace.
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I found this very interesting Tom. Something to try while we have time on our hands
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Interesting documentary…
“The science of art, the art of science”
https://www.pbs.org/independentlens/between-the-folds/
Origami and science.
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thanks!
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Take a look at the website of papermaker and paper artist Helen Hiebert. She writes a weekly blog called the Sunday Paper, has written several books, and regularly posts video interviews with paper artists.
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Very beautiful and inspiring, Tom.
Perhaps the work of Dutch artist Nel Linssen may interest you.
She makes jewellery of folded paper.
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Wow! What a great post and comments. I’m inspired!
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Really interesting post.
Beautiful too.
Light is the great painter of shadow that’s for sure.
For writers too…
American country great John Prine (very sick with Covid) has this wonderful line in his song “Lake Marie”
“You know what blood looks like in a black and white video?
Shadows, shadows, that’s exactly what it looks like
All the love we shared between her and me was slammed
Slammed up against the banks of Old Lake Marie, Marie”.
I get shivers every time I hear that line.
I got shivers looking at the shadows on some of your folding.
So beautiful.
Thank you.
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wow, thankyou
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Wonderful work, Tom! I think you would enjoy a book called *Paper Weight – Works in Paper* by Elsa Mora, a Cuban-born artist now living in New York. Her work is more organic in structure than most origami, so takes a tangent from your original work here. Many of her constructions look like things one might find washed up on the beach. You can get a taste of her work at elsamora.net
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Fantastic, Tom!
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Yes, as a book artist, I second Hedi Kyle’s The Art of the Fold. It’s a thoughtful and well-presented book. And she’s an amazing book artist and teacher.
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These are extraordinarily beautiful …. how can something so simple look so stunning! Katie
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Tom, if you aren’t already familiar with the work of paper artist Matthew Shlian, check it out! He does amazing work!
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Holy Cow!
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Great images Tom, especially the multiple one taken throughout the day, which ties in so neatly with theories of seriality in art (bit of an interest of mine), and reminded me of the German artist Annegret Soltau’s multiple image works. Some of your other pieces could form the basis for some interesting explorations in paint. So good to see how your work has developed over the last while.
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You may like to consider what the British Origami Society has to offer:
https://www.britishorigami.info
Additionally here are some great books which we recommend:
(This is available from 19th May, and Amazon incorrectly states that I’m the author! It’s in fact the work of Tomoko Fuse, although I made comments and descriptions of the pieces within.)
Now a couple of immodest recommendations of our own books!
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Curlicue-Kinetic-Origami-Assia-Brill/dp/1494234939/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Curlicue&qid=1585743649&s=books&sr=1-1
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Brilliant-Origami-Collection-Original-Designs/dp/0870408968/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Brilliant+Origami&qid=1585743676&s=books&sr=1-1
Paul Jackson has many titles in the same series: select from here
https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=Paul+Jackson+paper&i=stripbooks&ref=nb_sb_noss_2
Best wishes and happy folding
Dave Brill ( current President BOS)
https://brilliantorigami.com
Assia Brill
http://www.assiabrill.com
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Thanks for suggesting these – they all look wonderful.
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Do you know the work of Dutch artist Jan Schoonhoven?
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These are beautiful, Tom. Seeing the progression of light through the day is especially intriguing. Thank you.
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Peter Callesen https://www.artistaday.com/?p=3123 who takes single sheets of paper and makes them into art using the shadows and torn strips! a real rabbit whole to go down but so good! enjoy
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A bit expensive and very dense but this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Twists-Tilings-Tessellations-Mathematical-Geometric/dp/1138563064 is in my opinion worth it. Robert Lang is a master origami folder. This book does not contain many complete folding instructions, but rather goes into the theory and practive of designing tesselations.
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“The Art of the Fold” Heidi Kyle definitely worth a look
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I am doing a degree in Design and Innovation with the Open University. I got this book a couple of years ago, it is really helpful with visualising things differently, getting a different perspective… as well as being quite good fun!
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Your photographs are fascinating–turning simple folding into art, which I suppose is the essence of origami. My son is an accomplished practitioner who started very young (I used to accompany him to meetings of the British Origami Society as his “non-folding partner”). You might enjoy “Pop-up geometric origami” by Masahiro Chatani and Keiko Nakazawa, published by Ondorisha Publishers, Tokyo. The photography in the book focuses on the light effects on the complex shapes (although the title says origami, it’s really kirigami as well). Kirigami is cut and folded.
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Thanks so much for sharing this, Tom. Some intriguing shapes here. Stay well and keep folding!
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Thank you! I have 3 friends who are all avid photographers, one is a professional, all sheltering in place at their homes. They will enjoy reading this and, I expect, trying it out for themselves.
One community within Toronto is challenging children at home to fold origami cranes to hang in their windows during this at home time. I hope to see photos on social media soon.
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