I S S U E 114 Fa l l 2013
The Magazine of OrigamiUSA
Masters of Mini-Tessellations Ralf Konrad and Frank van Kollem
On Folding Robert Lang's Black Forest Cuckoo Clock
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In This Issue
Issue #114 • Fall 2013
The Epitome of Origami Joy
At the OrigamiUSA Annual Convention, Moa Kulle (NY) follows Mileva Loo’s class on modular origami Gyroscope, a design partly traditional and partly by Lewis Simon. Photographer Andrew Cribb dutifully captured the excitement when Moa began to assemble the pieces correctly.
Features The Tessellations by Frank van Kollem by Henk Porck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9–10 Reflections on Frank van Kollem’s work by Paula Versnick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Un-Creased: A Farewell by Jennifer Hou . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 He Makes Clock Watchers Out of All of Us interview by Laura Rozenberg, photos by Barlaham Benitez Vargas . 15–17 Zaragoza Convention by Ilan Garibi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-19 New Location for the Spanish Museum of Paperfolding by Jorge Pardo . . . 19 Paper Beats Iron Bars by D’ario Pedurzzi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22–23 How to Make a Big Splash with a Festival Origami Tent by John Scully . . . . 24 1953—A Year of Wonders by Laura Rozenberg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25–27 1853-1953 One Hundred Years of Relationship between Japan and the Western World by Laura Rozenberg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Special Guest at 2013 OrigamiUSA Annual Convention: Ralf Konrad . . 28–29
FROM THE HOME-OFFICE Letter from the President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 2013 OrigamiUSA Annual Convention photos by Andrew Cribb . . . . . . . 4–5 Origami by Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6–7 Oversize Competition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Cranes in a Jar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Ranana Benjamin and Florence Temko 2013 Awards by Rachel Katz . . . 23 News from the Source . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30-31 Global Events Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Diagrams
Crease Pattern Tessellation by Frank van Kollem (diagrams by Paula Versnick and Eric Gjerde) . . . 12 Tato-Flower Loes Schakel (Diagrams by Kees Schakel) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Nonagenarian 2013 OrigamiUSA Convention Crown by Laura Kruskal (Diagrams by Márcio Noguchi) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20–21
the Magazine of OrigamiUSA
(Formerly The Friends of The Origami Center of America)
15 West 77th Street New York, NY 10024-5192 (212) 769-5635 fax (212) 769-5668
[email protected] Visit our website at: www.origamiusa.org The magazine is published by OrigamiUSA to communicate with its members and to share ideas and information about the art of paperfolding. Mail editorial material to the Home-Office at the above address with “Attention: The Paper” marked clearly on the envelope, or email to:
[email protected] The Paper – Editorial Staff Laura Rozenberg, Managing Editor Lanny Sherwin, Editor Wendy Zeichner, Advising Editor Marc Kirschenbaum, Diagram Editor Gay Merrill Gross, Book Review Editor Lori Gregory, Local-Area Groups Editor Tricia Tait, International News Editor Tony Cheng, Gay Merrill Gross, Kathy Wallace, Proofreaders
The Paper Committee
Laura Rozenberg (Chair), Lanny Sherwin, Wendy Zeichner OrigamiUSA OrigamiUSA is a volunteer-based not-forprofit tax-exempt, cultural and educational arts organization founded in 1980. Its mission is to share the joy and appreciation of paperfolding, preserve its history, nurture its growth, bring people together, and encourage community among paperfolders.
FOUNDERS
Lillian Oppenheimer (1898–1992) Alice Gray (1915–1994) Michael Shall (1950–1995)
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Wendy Zeichner, President Marc Kirschenbaum,Vice-President Jean Baden-Gillette, Treasurer Márcio Noguchi, Secretary Lisa Bellan-Boyer Ruthanne Bessman Jason Ku Charlene Morrow Bernie Peyton Laura Rozenberg Jim Weir
OrigamiUSA STAFF
BOOK REVIEWS
Origami for All by Ioana Stoian, reviewed by Sara Adams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Sam Riviello, Administrator Michael and Janet Hamilton, Managers for The Origami Source Trevor James, Webmaster Sarah Meskin, Designer for The Paper
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Letter from the President Dear Members, What a terrific Convention we had in 2013! Many thanks to Jan Polish and the Convention Committee for an amazing event. Also thanks to Robert Lang and the web team for making a reality of the class preview and an online Model Menu. And thank you to the team from North Carolina (Norm Budnitz, Mette Peterson, Judith Powell) who worked non-stop to photograph the entire Model Menu. Wow! We were pleased to have two wonderful guests from Europe—Ralf Konrad from Germany and Jorge Pardo from Spain. Ralf ’s tessellations were a delight, as were Jorge’s modulars! Plus we had the chance to learn more about the upcoming EMOZ—the origami museum opening soon in Zaragoza, Spain—from the director, Jorge Pardo. Anyone who was tracking the plans for our special guests knows that due to problems with getting visas, we were unable to have Isa Klein from Brazil and Alexander Oliveras, from Colombia, as special guests. But that was not a complete showstopper! Isa Klein was able to be one of our first remote teachers, via the Internet. Nick Robinson and Jeremy Shafer also gave classes at the convention from the UK and California, respectively. We are looking into more video classes at future Conventions, and hope to be able to add them to our website. At the Annual Meeting we held the 2013 elections. We welcome two new Board Members, Laura Rozenberg (elected) and Charlene Morrow (appointed) and look forward to their contributions. After nearly four years of service to the Board, Anne LaVin stepped off the Board in May. Robert Lang chose not to run for another term,
New Board Members
Laura Rozenberg
Charlene Morrow
after eleven years of service to the Board. Many thanks to both Anne and Robert for all their service to the Board and to OrigamiUSA. Both assure us that they will continue to volunteer to keep the website humming along. Thank you to everyone who made possible the dream of having all issues of The Origamian scanned in and available for sale at The Source Downloads site, particularly JC Nolan, Laura Rozenberg, Robert Lang and Andrew Hudson. We will soon be making PDF’s of The Paper available. All issues back to No. 1 of The Newsletter have been scanned and will soon be available at The Source. This is an amazing treasure trove of diagrams, articles and, mostly important, our history.
Moving towards the new vision Directly after the 2013 OrigamiUSA Convention, the Board met for another Retreat Meeting on June 25 and 26, 2013. This meeting was an opportunity to continue the work begun at the Board Retreat in February, 2012. Since that time, we have made some good progress in changes to our management structure. I have accepted the role of Executive Director, and we have promoted all our committee chairs to managing directors that sit on an Operating Committee. This arrangement has allowed managing directors to report directly through a shared Google document. It has also allowed the Board to spend Board meeting time to discuss our vision and plan for the future. At last year’s retreat, our new vision was just a glimmer, but now it is coming into focus. OrigamiUSA can and will take a leadership role in bringing origami to a broader audience. To do this, we need to develop public programs that serve people outside of our community. The Education Committee will be developing these programs by focusing on curriculum creation and teacher training. The goal will be to develop fundable programs that would be eligible for grants. This would give us the resources to get origami into more places where it can have impact on our society—in school curriculums, in therapy in
hospitals, in engineering designs. The educational programs will also serve a greater purpose in our plans. As we create successfully run programs with incrementally more budget, we will be able to grow our goals into the larger vision—the big dream of the Museum and School of Origami. Funders will see that we can provide results with grant money which will lead to the bigger funding we will need to build a Museum. To get to the big dream, we need more than money. We need the members of the origami community (whether or not they are members of OrigamiUSA) to get behind the new vision. This is really the time when we need to create the Museum. Many of the early pioneers of the modern origami movement are gone. Paper is an ephemeral material and we need to preserve the works of art that have been created for exhibitions. There have been many origami exhibitions, but there is no centralized home for these works of art. We need to preserve our history now, while we are still growing. This can provide the strong foundation we need for the future. As paperfolders, we all know the effect that origami can have on people. We have seen it in the faces of those we teach and felt it as we fold. Origami is transformative not only to the paper, but also to the people doing the folding. Now is the time to bring origami beyond our community. Together, we can make this happen! Support OrigamiUSA, not just with money (though we do need that!) but also with your hearts (real and paper) to make our dream come true. Sincerely,
Wendy Zeichner OrigamiUSA President and Executive Director August 19, 2013
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OrigamiUSA Annual Convention June 21-24, 2013 Fashion Institute of Technology, New York Photos and captions by Andrew Cribb
Two folders learn Pako Pako designed by Tomoko Fuse and taught by Arlene Gorchov (PA).
Rachel Katz (NY) teaches The Last Waltz, an origami design by Neal Elias.
Brandon Zee, Julia Zee, and Vivian Cribb with models of John Montroll's Knight they have folded.
OrigamiUSA 2013 Paper Plane Competition. Plane makers compete to fly the farthest distance, longest time aloft, and the most accurate to a target.
Colorful modular origami designed and folded by Jorge Pardo (Spain).
Owl on a tree origami designed and folded by Paul Frasco (NY).
Mette Pederson (NC), origami designer and folder, teaches a class on how to fold the modular Foil Ring she is holding.
Saber-Toothed Cat and Mammoth designed and folded by William Hartman (MA).
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Talo Kawasaki (NY) teaches a young folder a new model.
Bernie Peyton (center) teaches an extra class on how to fold his Angry Fish origami design.
Nathan Ascher (back center) teaches a complex origami dragon design by Diego Fernando Becerra Ramirez.
Omri Shavit (center) (MA) teaches a class on how to fold Jason Ku's complex origami design convertible car.
Laura Kruskal (center) with Lenora Zeitchick (left) and Annette Purnell (right) in a Storigami class. Find diagrams for Laura's Crown on pages 20-21.
Bubble Head Nurse origami model designed and folded by Takuya Okamoto (Japan).
Highland Cattle origami designed and folded by Beth Johnson (MI).
Tristan Saidi (NJ) helps a fellow folder, Jinni Xu (NY) to fold Robert Lang's origami Hippo.
Origami folder and designer, Aaron Pfitzenmaier (TX) USA holding one of his colorful modular creations.
Scorpio-snake designed and folded by Nguyen Hung Cuong (Vietnam). Fall 2013 | The PAPER 5
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Origami by Children Photographs by Mary Gordon
For more than three decades, OrigamiUSA has sponsored Origami by Children (OBC), an exhibition of outstanding origami by children from around the world. Children whose origami is selected for the exhibition receive a Certificate of Merit, a one-year membership to OrigamiUSA, and a small gift. Experience is not necessary and any child is welcome to participate. Most models are made from directions in origami books available in libraries, bookstores and credited websites, but original creations are encouraged. During the year the exhibit travels to communities of various participants, where it is displayed in local schools and libraries. For more information, go to: www.origamiusa.org/obc. Sheep (folded by Valentinos Katanoiou)
Modular 8-pointed Star
Sun Fractal
Fiery Dragon
Owl
Snowflake
European Swallow
Jumpy Squirrel
Ring Tailed Lemur
Turtle
Sleipnir
Swan
Facial Tissue Paper Box
Star X
Flower Tower
Omega Star, one-piece
Folded by Lauren Baxter (6) PA, USA Created by Francisco Caboblanco Folded by Travis Bender (11) NH, USA Created by Roman Diaz Folded by Nathan Boerner (12) OH, USA Created by Nathan Boerner Folded by Jesper Brenner (11) MA, USA Created by Satoshi Kamiya Folded by Cullen Brown (8) MD, USA Created by Cullen Brown
Folded by DanaRose Brown (16) NJ, USA Created by DanaRose Brown Folded by Wesley Cassidy (12) ON, Canada Created by Dennis Walker Folded by Grayson Cliff (11) CA, USA Created by Roman Diaz Folded by Evan Deddo (14) PA, USA Created by Manuel Sirgo Alvarez Folded by Ethan DePledge (17) CA, USA Created by Chris Palmer
Folded by Krishna Girkar (10) CA, USA Created by Kade Chan Folded by Henry Hardin (12) MT, USA Created by Henry Hardin Folded by Joseph Hwang (15) CA, USA Created by Joseph Hwang Folded by Kyle Ikuma (12) NJ, USA Created by Yada Naokyuki Folded by Sachi Ikuma (8) NJ, USA Created by John Montroll
Baby Chameleon
Folded by Blake Derksen (17) CA, USA Created by Blake Derksen
Eagle
Folded by Jackson Finch (11) CA, USA Created by Hung Cuong Nguyen
Modular Box Variation Wreath
Folded by Fiona Gillespie (13) NJ, USA Created by Bennett Arnstein
Tsuru Rose with Baby Modified Five-and-Four (folded by Kyle Wills)
Folded by Mark Gillespie (16) NJ, USA Created by Satoshi Kamiya
Jumpy Squirrel (folded by Nathan Boerner)
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Casket — box
Caracol
Blue Shark
Kusudama Ball
Cerberus
Harlequin Beetle
Ancient Dragon
Dragon Whelp
Hercule's Beetle
Lizard #2
Modified Five-and-Four
Dead Man's Chest
Crow
Folded by Olesya Mizeznaya (7) Sazatov, Russia Created by Tomoko Fuse Folded by Douglas Morton (15) CT, USA Created by John Montroll Folded by SeJin Park (12) Seoul, S. Korea Created by Satoshi Kamiya Flower Tower (folded by Ethan DePledge)
Folded by David Joo (16) VA, USA Created by Satoshi Kamiya Folded by Jennifer Kahn (16) CT, USA Created by Jeremy Shafer
Penguin
Folded by Mark Karhan (9) NY, USA Created by Michael Assis
Sheep
Folded by Valentinos Katanoiou (14) Evros, Greece Created by Hideo Komatsu
Black & White Pair of Swans
Folded by Emily Kwan (16) NJ, USA Created by Joseph Wu
Curler Unit Ball
Folded by Rowen Pierick (13) WI, USA Created by Satoshi Kamiya Folded by Jacob Riina (14) MD, USA Created by Jacob Riina Folded by James Ross (10) MD, USA Created by James Ross
Phoenix
Folded by Tristan Saidi (11) NJ, USA Created by Satoshi Kamiya
Wings
Folded by Nilay Shah (13) NY, USA Created by Nilay Shah
See Saw
Folded by Gabriel Sherman (12) NY, USA Created by Gabriel Sherman
Fusion
Folded by Spencer Leach (9) TX, USA Created by Herman Van Goubergen
Folded by Krishna Sivakumar (13) NJ, USA Created by Krishna Sivakumar—based on Sonobe
Harlequin Cootie Catcher
Mercedes 300SL
Rock'em Sock'em Origami
Star Puff
Unicorn
Tree Frog with Leaf
Sailboat
Fox
Folded by Annie Liu (12) NY, USA Created by Russell Cash Dollar Folded by Nathan Lovett-Genovese (13) PA, USA Created by Nathan Lovett-Genovese Folded by Julie Ma (11) MA, USA Created by Roman Diaz Folded by Proma Majumdar (5) LA, USA Created by Traditional
Folded by Carlos Vilchis (15) Queretaro, Mexico Created by Tomoko Fuse Folded by Haley Welliver (13) WA, USA Created by Barb Abellaatje Folded by Tovi Wen (9) NY, USA Created by Tovi Wen Folded by August Westphal (6) MI, USA Created by Paul Frasco Folded by Kyle Wills (16) OH, USA Created by Kyle Wills—inspired by Eric Gjerde
Fairy Archer
Folded by Gabriel Winston-Bailey (10) MD, USA Created by Gabriel Winston-Bailey
Fire Dragon
Folded by Woosug Yang (16) CA, USA Created by Kade Chan
Iguana
Folded by Alec Zhang (12) CA, USA Created by Ben Muller
Logarithmic Spiral
Folded by Evan Zodl (17) NJ, USA Created by Evan Zodl
Folded by Sam Sleep (15) MO, USA Created by Sam Sleep Folded by Abel Sopez Pantoja (18) Qro, Mexico Created by Ralf Konrad Folded by Louis Squitieri (13) WI, USA Created by Robert Lang/Peter Engel Folded by Daniel Ventura (10) RI, USA Created by John Montroll
Owl (folded by Travis Bender) Fall 2013 | The PAPER 7
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OVERSIZE COMPETITION Photos by Susan Dugan
In the Oversize Folding Competition at the OrigamiUSA 2013 Convention, teams of folders used a 9 x 9 foot piece of photo set paper to create a model in 45 minutes. Teams consisted of 2-6 people. Younger folders use 6 x 6 foot squares. This year 33 teams participated using large paper donated by Set Shop.
The Goran’s Girls folding the Wave.
Winners awards went to the following team names: Dark Knight (they folded a Knight by John Montroll); JOAS (Dragon by Yada); Don’t be so Jelly… Fish (Jellyfish); Mad Hatters (Summer Hat by Monique Clovers); Make WAY (Duck); Les Plieurs Canadiens (Yellow Submarine); Tato Belle (Tato Belle); Origami Ornithologist (Bird); Six Feet Under (Skeleton Hand by Jeremy Shafer); Super Team (Superguy); The Fab 4 (Crab by Tovi Wen); Goran's Girls (Wave); A-nother Team (Pegasus); Team Bacon (Human Figure); Dazzling Ray (Eagle Ray by Satoshi Kamiya); Spring Team (Spring into Action); A Team (Donkey).
Yellow Submarine by Les Plieurs Canadiens.
Teams showing their models to the audience.
The Judges seriously judging the teams.
How many cranes in this jar? At the 2013 Convention, a jar full of cranes was the object of much discussion. Board Member, Lisa Bellan-Boyer folded all the cranes and brought this jar of intrigue as a way to raise money for OrigamiUSA and provide some entertainment. There were 1,485 cranes in the jar. The winner: Skyler Kleinschmidt with a guess of 1,495. Honorable mentions: Michael Ametrano and Ryda Rose (2nd place), and Moa from Norway (3rd place). A total of $101 was collected at $1 per guess. The winner received half of the pot! Thanks to all who contributed with a guess. Sailboats are already being folded for a new jar to be displayed at Convention 2014!
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The Tessellations by Frank van Kollem by Henk Porck (Netherlands)* In the summer of 2003, Eva Wolff presented a collection of geometrically folded constructions made by her son Frank van Kollem as a gift to the ‘Paper Historical Collection’ of the Koninklijke Bibliotheek (Royal Library in The Hague, The Netherlands). The collection had been stored in a small brown suitcase since Frank's death in 1997. It turned out that this treasure chest contained more than 100 small folded creations, each in its own plastic sleeve or several together in a cigar box. Together they form an intriguing origami collection, made by an exceptional individual. Frank was linguistically gifted and a brilliant mathematician and physicist. His fascination for mathematical principles led to a series of unique folded geometric constructions, each one made from one single sheet of paper and created with only the aid of two pairs of pointed tweezers and his own small fingers. Initially, many of Frank's diminutive artworks seem to resemble tiny ‘mats’ ingeniously plaited from strips of white paper, sometimes no bigger than 5x5 centimeters and only a few millimeters thick. They are in actual fact objects made from just one sheet of folded paper. The enormous variation in the regularly recurring patterns of folds (which in most of the pieces are different on the front
Many tessellations fit in a small cigar box.
and back), the miniscule proportions and the perfectly consistent execution, down to the very last detail, arouse amazement and admiration. Frank's ‘koffertje’ is a true treasure chest filled with a profusion of folded paper art.
There were strong ties between Frank and his mother, but they didn't get on easily. Humor proved to be the best way of getting through to Frank and humor therefore also typified their relationship. When some of his friends started calling him ‘Ori’ because of his origami objects, his mother said that she must then be ‘Ma Ori.’ Frank had many contacts in the neighborhood close by his house on the Prinsengracht and was always ready to help—preferably at night—in both word and deed when a problem with computers needed solving. In 1997, at the age of 47, Frank passed away in his sleep from cardiac arrest. People still talk about him in his local bar ‘de Klepel’ on the Prinsenstraat and remember him as a multifaceted and totally ‘free spirit.’
Who was Frank van Kollem? During my first visit to the home of Eva Wolff on the Keizersgracht in Amsterdam, she provided me with some answers. From a very early age Frank appeared to have a feel for languages and was extremely gifted mathematically. Because of his precociousness and habit of continually asking questions, he was considered to a bit of a nuisance at school, but his math teacher recognized his genius. Although he did not complete his secondary education or receive any other kind of formal instruction, he appeared to have such an exceptional grasp of physics that he was able to enter into all manner of discussions, on the most diverse of theories, with Professor Wouthuysen of the Physics Faculty of the University of Amsterdam—the father of one of Frank's friends from school.
The Royal Library is extremely grateful to Eva Wolff for her gift to the ‘Paper Historical Collection’. Her son's origami constructions will remain at the disposal of future generations, and can be viewed and studied by all interested parties visiting the Royal Library. Unfortunately we must accept that we will never have the opportunity to make the acquaintance of the flesh and blood ‘spirit’ behind these gems of folded paper, but perhaps if we take a look through a pair of spectacles Frank once made from tea strainers, we may be able to glimpse the world through his eyes. *Curator of The Paper History Collection of the Koninklijke Bibliotheek (Royal Library) in The Hague. The photographs for this article were taken by Paula Versnick with the exception of three as indicated in the photographs which belong to the Royal Dutch Library.
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Before Frank embarked on his unique folding exercises, he had always occupied himself with all sorts of handicrafts through which he could express his fascination for mathematical principles. Which explains the complicated three-dimensional constructions made from threaded glass beads of all shapes and sizes, and his zany earrings. (Detail)
Apart from his own fingers, Frank used two pairs of fine tweezers to create his miniature works of art. Frank enjoyed showing his creations to others and always had one or two examples in his pocket. He kept some colored, fruit-shaped origami objects in an old sweet tin and as a joke offered them to people saying, 'Care for a sweet?
Frank was 16 years old when he began making the confections of folded paper, after a visit to the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam where an origami artist was giving a demonstration. First of all, he folded figures following instructions in books on origami but he very soon developed his own style of mathematical, geometrically folded paper constructions. One uncompleted creation in the collection demonstrates how Frank built up the structure of his origami objects from the centre of the sheet of paper in which he had first folded a fine network of 'guide lines'.
Other examples of his creative abilities are his crocheted purses in which he created patterns using two different colored button threads to weave sequences of number and letter combinations. Several of these extraordinary creations were in Frank's 'koffertje' and provide an intriguing supplement to the origami pieces.
(Texts by Henk Porck) 10 The PAPER | Fall 2013
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Reflections on Frank van Kollem’s work by Paula Versnick (Netherlands)
Frank started origami in 1966, and began folding tessellations not much later. In historic perspective, it is very plausible that Frank invented this kind of folding without knowing what was happening on the other side of the world, in Japan, by Yoshihide Momotani and Shuzo Fujimoto. He invented the famous “wall” widely known as a model by Momotani, and many variations to this model. Right: Frank van Kollem invented tessellations that resemble those of Y. Momotami and S. Fujimoto. (Credit: Royal Dutch Library)
But also he created tessellations which are far more intricate.
In the beginning he used regular origami paper in colors, but his mother said it was better to fold in white. From then on, all his tessellations are in white. Most of them are folded from regular size paper i.e., 15 cm (6") square. He divided the paper in 32 or 64 squares and added all the diagonals before he started to fold the pattern. To fold the grid accurately on this tiny scale is an achievement in itself. Among the people who went to the Royal Library to see the collection, were Christine Edison and Eric Gjerde. I have seen the collection four times now, and every time I forgot how tiny and amazing his work was. In my memory it was always bigger than in reality.
Frank van Kollem made a few colored tessellations. Most were white. (Credit: Royal Dutch Library)
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Crease Pattern Tessellation
Complex
by Frank van Kollem, diagrammed by Paula Versnick (Netherlands) and Eric Gjerde (France) The tessellation completed is 4 cm x 4 cm (1.6"x1.6"). Note by Paula Versnick: Eric Gjerde and I figured out one of the most intricate patterns. It is a tessellation that shrinks 4 times in size by folding. We managed to make a CP for this, but I didn't manage to fold the complete tessellation. I think Eric could do it, but not on this tiny scale.
CP Front
CP Back
CP Detail
CP Detail
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Un-Creased: A Farewell By Jennifer Hou, Former Diagram Editor at Creased (NY)
The mission was simple: find unpublished origami diagrams to share every two months with enthusiasts of various folding abilities. From January 2011 to December 2012 Creased Magazine for Paper Folders, a little force of nature, shared with its subscribers over 150 new origami models by artists in over 20 different countries. Helmed from conception to conclusion by the Creative Director, Sok Song, and Managing Editor, Kathryn Wagner, Creased was the first independent origami magazine published in the United States. Creased was available both in print and in digital format, but any folder worth her paper cuts gravitated to the impeccably glossy 8.5" x 8.5" like a moth to the flame. All 12 issues contained at least one diagram at four different levels of difficulty, a modular entry, a crease pattern, and a teacher’s corner for beginners. The multitude of diagrams in Creased, all neatly arranged in pastel colors and adorned with symbols indicating folding instructions, was laid out with a wandering “swish” that lead from step to step, instead of the logical left to right table or grid. The destination was clear, but the journey was the apex of importance. Sandwiched in the middle of the magazine, at the inner binding, was a calendar spread of snapshots from various origami conventions and events across the world. The images could be serious or silly, posed or candid, but despite the differences, they were placed side-by-side (folding masters next to awed beginners); a collection that represented an origami community and extended family. It was for this audience that the magazine existed, and it was sweetly apt that these readers were literally embraced at the heart of Creased. Few people could have conceived of such a publication, and fewer still would have met the challenge of making it into a reality. So, no reflection upon Creased is complete without a nod to the man whose creative vision and sheer stubbornness
of will made this little gem possible. Sok Song is the warm ideal of an artist who serves his art and community. He was tireless in his pursuit of a goal and incredibly talented, but he was also carefully generous to involve the assistance and input of the greater origami community. The other half of the original Creased staff was the firm but gentle Kathryn Wagner. The subscriptions, shipping, logistical and managerial duties were her domain, and it must be said that her hard work quietly confirmed, supported, and liberated Sok to do his creative work. They were critical of and critical for each other in the best meanings of the word. Judging from the quality of the publication, they made an undeniably successful team.
that we all share. The act of folding origami is both challenge and simplicity in each crease; it is an exercise in patience, logic, problem solving and, more often than not, time management. The magic of Creased may seem to lie in its beautiful and thoughtful pages, but I adamantly believe that what made the magazine so special was its ability to tap into our collective human need to build the most beautiful and ornate from the most plain and simple.
Creased would certainly not have been the same without a supporting cast of characters: testers, writers, designers, interns, and of course, readers. We were a collection of so many different kinds of folders—the modular fiends, crisp perfectionists, soft impressionists and complex heroes—but each of us knows that there is an OCD (origami compulsive disorder) Fall 2013 | The PAPER 13
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Tato Flower © Loes Schakel (Diagrams by Kees Schakel - Netherlands)
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Simple
Barlaham Benítez Vargas:
He Makes Clock Watchers Out of All of Us interview by Laura Rozenberg. Photos by Barlaham Benítez Vargas (Mexico) Barlaham Benítez Vargas is a lone folder who lives in Mexico. Very few people in the origami community worldwide knew about him until a couple of years ago when his rendering of Robert Lang’s “Black Forest Cuckoo Clock”—one of the most difficult models of all times—appeared on Flickr and other social media websites. It was an outstanding representation, probably the best we’ve seen after Robert Lang’s own design. Intrigued, Laura Rozenberg, the editor of The Paper, sent him elephant hide paper, which is difficult to find in Mexico, and he set to work again. After several months, the new model—his fourth interpretation— was complete. A true work of art! Even Robert Lang was surprised, when he saw it at the recent OrigamiUSA Annual Convention in New York. In this interview, Barlaham reflects on this work, the obstacles he found along the process, and his feelings along the way. Barlaham, tell us something about your life. Where you were born and grew. My name is Barlaham Benítez Vargas. I was born and raised in San Luis de la Paz, a small town in Guanajuato state, in the center of Mexico. It is a peaceful and hardly boisterous town. As unpleasant as it may seem for some people, for someone like me it is an excellent place because one can always find new things to do. I lived and grew here for 29 years, almost 30.
Do you remember the first model you folded? I was 8 years old when I folded my first one from a book at school. It was a traditional piggy.
When did you start folding paper? Did you have any instructor or just from books? Are there artists in your family? I had my first experience with origami in elementary school, but only started practicing it more seriously about eight or nine years ago. With the arrival of the Internet, the information was just a click away and that was phenomenal for me. The way I grew up made me a relatively tranquil person. I am not the athletic type, I don’t practice sports regularly, so I believe I was drawn to origami in part for that reason. I can say I am a self-taught origamist because when I started I only had books. I remember one in particular where I found the first model I learned to fold. Much to my surprise, even today relatively few people are aware of the art, so imagine twenty years ago when the access to information was not as it is today. I never belonged to an association or origami group, although I taught to small groups while I was studying Japanese in the university.
Although there are no formal artists in my family, I never stayed away from arts. My mum, she’s very good at knitting and my dad has been an amateur photographer for most of his life. I would say I have art in my blood. Since I was a little child I grew up with classical music and what would be better than combining music with paperfolding!
What is your current profession and how much time are you able to dedicate to folding paper? I graduated in graphic design (I’m still working towards the degree). For the moment, I am in charge of a family business. It’s not that bad, from time to time I can work in design and what is more important to me is that I can work almost full time in paperfolding.
You are extraordinarily talented. Your rendering of the Cuckoo Clock by Robert Lang, and the Ryujin by Satoshi Kamiya leave people in awe. Recently you agreed to make a Lang's Cuckoo
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when things don’t work as you thought. The relief when you take the right direction. And the deep satisfaction and awe when the project is complete.
What were the major challenges? I wouldn't call them challenges. It was more like a learning experience. Taping the two pieces of paper. After cutting the paper very accurately, the next step was joining them. From the start, all has to be done very carefully. Any minimal mistake at the beginning, will bring disaster at the end.
Using a tool to help precreasing (step 12 in the diagrams). Sometimes I find it helpful to use some tools to help me fold or crease the paper. It makes the pre-creasing easier, especially when working with large pieces of paper.
for an upcoming exhibition of paperfolding in Uruguay, and I would very much thank you if you could possibly describe the process.
to do something different, and then I take on the old project.
How long did it take, if you had done the experience before, and what did you feel doing it? It took me a long, long time, and that is one of my secrets. Any project has its own pace, and I never force myself to reach a model finished. If at midway I find an obstacle or I lose patience, I put it aside for a couple of days so as to clear my mind, and then I continue with no pressure. Usually I don’t put aside paperfolding but there are times when it is better to move away completely and try to find a bit of distraction. I play music and do long walks. If I’m not too annoyed with the project I simply look for a new model,
Until now, I folded four Robert Lang’s Cuckoo Clocks. The first three are relatively similar in technique and style (two of them can be found on my Flickr account), and the only difference is that one is larger than the other two. These first three were folded using double tissue paper bonded with spray adhesive. Dry folded and with some touches of glue and some pieces of wire to help them keep their shape (I don’t mind purism). The fourth is the one I folded for the exhibition in Uruguay. And how does it feel? It’s a beautiful range of emotions. Starting with a doubt: how am I going to proceed with new material of which I know nothing about? The anxiety of the start. The horror and desperation
To begin with, the plan: I knew it would not be “any” model, and that I could not take it lightly, as it was the first relatively complex model I would fold, and one of the most remarkable models of all times. Due to the limitations of resources I could not afford the luxury of wasting paper (I had to perfectly cut the original sheets into rectangles and glue them before I could start folding the model). I had to do it right from the start to minimize any error. I knew that I only would have some time available to fold during the day. (I don’t like to work with artificial lights.) And the limited space disposable I have to work was a little issue that I had to think about. The paper: I always adapted to the paper available. I don’t have too many options where I live, and bringing paper from other countries is a little expensive, especially if the model gets spoiled and I lose the investment. I had never worked with the type of paper I used for the last interpretation (elephant hide). My first impression was that the paper was not the right choice for the model because when I started folding I did a dry fold (without applying the wet-folding technique). I was horrified by the way the model looked at that early stage! Then I applied the wet-folding technique after I unfolded the whole model and it was magic! It was the first time I used it and although it’s been a while since I finished the project, I have no words to describe how I felt. Everything seemed so familiar, from start to finish. There were no tests, it was like I had always been using the technique, or as if instinctively knew what parts needed more humidity and which ones less. It’s hard to describe the excitement of seeing the piece taking shape, at least at first try. I’m still in awe for my achievement.
Starting to fold the model. After the pre-creasing, everything is really easy. The diagrams are not difficult to follow and most of the needed marks are there. You only need patience and a little bit of practice. Do not rush! Take your time.
A good part of the technique involves knowing the model and the process of folding because once you dampen the paper you have to work fast so the paper stays wet until the end of the folding.
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A nightmare. After folding the model dry and arrived to the head of the deer, I almost panicked when I saw the paper was too thick there. But I had to do the wet-folding.
As per this model, I have no particular secrets. The diagrams are enough to get you going and to achieve a good reproduction if you use the wet-folding technique. Based on my experience, these are my three rules for a good interpretation: 1) Take your time. It doesn’t matter if it will take you days or months. In the end, the result will be more satisfactory. 2) Test the model. Fold it over and over again (if you can). Find what you can improve and where you can put some of you.
Wet folding. Although the paper should be wet since the beginning, I folded the model dry and unfolded completely to fold it again wet. The model didn’t change its shape.
self, show your gratefulness and respect for the work of the others through your work and effort.
Is it like interpreting music? Yes, definitely. You begin playing with the score and later you apply your style. Same with the diagrams, once you get to know the model you can change the order of some steps or some of the shaping and in the end there is something from yourself that stays in the model, be it in the way it’s been folded or in the invisible factor called “interpretation” or personal “touch.”
3) Th e most important rule: your interpretation should be a reflection of your respect for the work of the creator. Don’t take an interpretation lightly, give the best of your-
Each time is a little different?
Improvising. I don’t have sophisticated tools. I like to improvise. Here using a wooden compass (very big, the type that is used in blackboards), to press the head of the deer while it gets dry.
Magic. It is like magic, or even more, when applying wet-folding. Seeing how little by little the model, with this type of paper, went alive—it is almost supernatural. It went from nightmare to wonder. I think I will never be able to explain my state of awe.
things. Very rarely I fold a model only once, that’s another of my secrets. I think only the creator of the model knows its secrets in depth and this is something that can’t be explained in a diagram. That’s why I believe that only by folding a model over and over again it is possible to unveil the secrets kept in the model and with time and practice, somehow, the model takes life.
How do you feel when you finish one of these masterpieces? I’m always satisfied. On some occasions like this one, I was really surprised of the achievement. And not only when I finish a model so complex, it also happens with easier models that I gave as gifts to people close to me. Once, not so long ago, I was so happy when I finished a model that I was moved to tears.
What new pieces are you working on right now or what do you plan to do in the future? While I enjoy very much to interpret the work of creators, I would like to use some time in creating my own models. Strangely enough I don’t own a personal collection, I only have small models, so this is one of my short-term projects: to start my own collection.
It is always different, sometimes you learn something and sometimes you learn other
The finished model.
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Zaragoza Convention by Ilan Garibi (Israel)
After three Italian Conventions in a row, I knew I had to break the spell they have cast upon me. “So, this year it is Spain,” I said. I knew that the first European Origami Congress would be held a day before and that the exhibition “La Magia Del Papel”(the Magic of Paper)—presenting the work of both Eric Joisel and Le Crimp—would be up and running. So I had all the reasons I needed to be in Zaragoza, Spain in late April. Possibly the oldest origami association, Grupo Zaragozano de Papiroflexia is located in Zaragoza. This city is all about origami. You can see it in the shop windows—a crane or a modular will decorate many. The people here are very interested in origami, and for them this Convention was covered both by local radio and TV stations. Being early by a day, I had time to do some sightseeing at the city center. I was overwhelmed by the Basilica of Our Lady of the Pilar and many other sites only a walking distance from the hotel. There are many hobby shops and many interesting papers are sold, with and without patterns.
La Magia Del Papel One example of the city’s love for origami is this exhibition. Set in the Centro De Historias museum, all floors were dedicated to folded paper. The Crimp group is presenting Arrugado!, which means “crumple” or “creased.” In a unique folding technique, they have created an amazing under-the-sea experience, with many mushrooms, strange fish, and huge sheets of crumpled paper. Although this was truly amazing, it was only a warm-up act for the art of the late Eric Joisel. This is a retrospective exhibition that shows the many stages of development Eric went through. You can see his desktop, and some diagrams, half made models and a
large variety of his hand work. I stopped at The Musicians for a very long time seeing these iconic models for the first time. I gazed in awe at Legolas (one of the characters in his series of Barbarians), and I quote Eric: “This is the only model I am satisfied with,” mainly because of the super elegant way the unfolded paper makes the cape hanging from his shoulder. You can also see his huge rhino, masks, bottles, horse head, his latest work of Comedia Dell’arte, and many more I finished my tour after some long minutes gazing at The Standing Man model as I admired the perfect proportions with the visible finger prints of his work.
The Convention With three days, four halls, four guests of honor, 170 guests from 19 countries and 80 classes on the program, the Convention promised a great variety of models. Most of them were figurative, in different level and techniques, with dry and wet folding. Some classes were about modulars and just a pinch of tessellations. The level of folders was high, and I was surprised to see in my class first-time tessellators managing the collapse of my Cubes tessellation without any explanation from me. The same was true for the classes that others taught. Since we were in Spain, the pacing was common for Europe: some rest after lunch, and—with the late dinner at 8:30 or even 9:00 pm that went into the late night—there wasn’t much origami during those hours. Unlike in Italy, I didn't have any very late night folding sessions. Moreover, the classes were not held in the main room, but in different rooms of the hotel. That left me with the feeling that I was always missing something. It seemed as though there wasn’t much action in the main room since most of the participants were in classes in the other rooms.
The Guests of honor Four guests of honor is a big number. Coming from three different continents,
they promised an interesting and exciting mix of models and niches, and we weren’t disappointed! Victor Coeurjoly, from Madrid, highly surprised me with his mature style. I must say it reminded me of the artwork of Dali with long lines and no-heads figures. His scope of work is wide, including women, animals, and stick human figures. I joined his Giraffe class and enjoyed seeing how these unique long lines are formed from quite a regular base. To get that, he uses extremely thin paper (in our class it was some kind of a gold-coated foil). So talented, and yet he is only 20 years old! Carlos González, AKA “Halle,” also from Madrid, needs very little introduction. He is a big guy with a big smile and heart, and you get an immediate feel of friendship and welcoming emanating from him. His exhibition table was full of delightful, highly colorful figures of cartoon stars. I really liked Homer from The Simpsons, leaning on a beer bottle!
Nicolas Gajardo’s White Headed Capuchin
Nicolas Gajardo (27) is another young rising star from Santiago, Chile. His models are full of expressions with clever color changes. He explained in the conference room how he designed the White-headed Capuchin. Unfortunately, I missed all his classes, a common problem when you have that many options at any given time. Last but not least, was Takuro Kashiwamura (23), from Tokyo, Japan. Representing the young group, Orist, he humbly pre-
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flash course for T-rex designing from a napkin. Late at the first night I won the contest of one-handed-speed-crane-folding but lost the legs-only contest.
Camel by Israeli folder Saadya Sternberg
sented a variety of super complex models, showing skill and delicacy.
Origami Talks During breakfast, while I was discussing wildlife issues with Bernie Peyton, h e suddenly changed course when a young Spanish folder joined us. Within seconds the conversation shifted to how easy creating models is, and both of us got a
During the last dinner I was fortunate to have some quality time with the MFPP president Viviane Berty, when I learned her newest color-changing flower. With exhibition tables all around the main room, the origami is well displayed everywhere. From lamps to earrings, Dassa's miniatures and Camels, from camel paper by Saadya, sharks and snakes—all made a delightful view for all who entered.
The Essence of Origami It's not an easy task to write a review about a convention. The main issue about a convention is the atmosphere, the air you breathe, the sights you see when you step into a class, the sound of rustling paper, the
smile on the hosts’ faces, the essence of origami. Here, in Zaragoza, there is definitely a professional touch. You can see that origami is a serious business, and it is treated with respect. And that is a place I would like to be in, again and again. ¡Hola, España!
First European Origami Congress The first European Origami Congress was held on the morning of the first Convention day. With participants from many associations, our task was to lay the groundwork for pan-European cooperation. There is much in common between the many groups, and the idea of synergy began to take shape. It is too early to present concrete steps, but for sure there will be a follow up.
New Location for the Spanish Museum of Paperfolding by Jorge Pardo (Spain) Paperfolders from around the world are waiting for an historic breakthrough that will take place on December 19, 2013. On that day, the first museum of origami will open its doors in Zaragoza, Spain. The name of the museum is EMOZ (Educational Museum Origami Zaragoza). The original project underwent several changes in the last weeks, for example, the decision to change its location, from San Vicente de Paúl Market to Centro de Historias de Zaragoza. There were not enough sponsors to support the renovation of the market, so an alternative had to be found, one in which the intial investment would not be so high. The second level of Centro de Historias seemed definitely the right place, it is the same location where two important origami exhibitions took place in recent times. The first one, in 2009, with more than 43,000 visitors, and the most recent which included the works of the world reknown French artist, Eric Joisel, that brought more than 60,000 visitors.
These two exhibitions were the most visited in the whole history of the museum, an accomplishment that was taken into consideration to make the final decision. We believe that it is definitely a much more convenient location. It has the advantage of having all that is needed to organize an exhibition, there is no need of major changes, and the city already associates the Centro de Historias with origami.
idea is to organize temporary exhibitions with the work of Japanese paperfolders. Now is the right time to connect with paperfolders all over the world to request their work for the museum, and we are confident that we will have the support of most of them. We look forward to having the pleasure of receiving each and every origami enthusiast that comes to visit Spain.
Centro de Historias will continue its own temporary exhibits in the basement, and two levels will be dedicated exclusively to origami. Approximately 500 square meters of exhibition areas, one auditorium for conferences, workshop rooms and a gift shop with books, paper, models… The 400th anniversary of the beginning of the relationship between Spain and Japan will be celebrated with cultural events until June 2014. The Embassy of Japan in Spain is interested in the project and the
The future is smiling to Jorge Pardo and the Spanish group. The museum will be a reality soon. (Photo by Andrew Cribb during the Annual Convention in New York, where Jorge was a special guest).
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Nonagenarian 2013 OrigamiUSA Convention Crown Created by Laura Kruskal (age 90), diagrams by Márcio Noguchi
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simple
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Paper Beats
IRON BARS by D’ario Pedruzzi (Italy)
My name is D'ario Pedruzzi, I'm Italian and have been into origami since the age of 17. I've experimented with origami in a few unique situations and had some interesting experiences that I'd like to share. Hopefully, I can infect others with what I call the “O3A” virus: Origami Anywhere, with Anybody, folding Anything! It has been seven years, but feels like it was a lifetime ago. In 2006 an acquaintance told me about an association called “Children Without Bars," which is responsible for coordinating volunteers who work in the prison of San Vittore, Milan. Its goal is to promote the parental relationships between adults in jail and their children. When asked to help using origami as a tool, I accepted willingly. I was curious to try origami art in those places and in those contexts where you don't expect it. I hoped that origami, used as a medium of relationship-building, would open some doors and provide some insights among those incarcerated and their children. I taught origami for the children who were waiting for visitation periods with their parent. We were in a small room in which the children could find pencils, felt-tip pens, and something to draw on,
something to play with, someone to chat with, someone to play with, and—in my case—something to fold. I am convinced that when people live in a situation of distress such as prison, they learn to appreciate even the very smallest gestures, the simplest smile. (Italian law dictates that children can only get to see their imprisoned parent for up to 6 hours per month.) What better way than the little gestures of origami to create simple smiles and little surprises at every step? And origami, for me, has a couple of good features that helped me a lot. First, it's the thing I do best, so I feel confident and comfortable in teaching. This is important because—unlike drawing, coloring, playing with toy cars or with puppets—in teaching origami it is necessary to establish a relationship. This relationship is critical so that we aren't two anonymous faces, but two individuals who share something. Upon entering I'm rapidly surrounded by all sorts of children, aged 3 to 15, from Gypsies to Chinese, from Moroccan to Russian, through all continents. Many of them don't speak Italian, so others translate for their parents. Some will never speak to me, some talk too much, others just smile at me with a look full of gratitude. While we begin the long wait in the visitation room, we begin with the usual paper toys: jumping frogs, jumping grasshoppers, bangers, boxes, airplanes, and all of those things rotating,
D’ario Pedruzzi sporting a Tori 555 on display at the CDO Italian Convention on Education, Bellaria, Italy (April 2013). (Design by Tom Hull, folded by Roberto Mancini).
mouth-opening, tumbling, rolling, flying, gliding, that make paperfolding with children so amusing, so magical. We had great success with the Lucky Stars, or “Sleeping Stars” designs. To illustrate a story of fairies, an origami star becomes an indispensable amulet, as well as a token of friendship between me and those children. Then, that same object makes a cherished gift for the imprisoned father when the long wait is finally over. Another magical element inside any origami workshop—but especially so among the children of San Vittore prison—is the total absence of competition and aggression. The competition is demolished by a sheet of paper! There were no quarrels for models, nor for the choice of colors of paper, nor
The grasshopper, a beginners model that D’ario taught at San Vittore prison.
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During the April Convention in Bellaria, D'ario Pedruzzi gave a lecture where he explained how he uses paperfolding with patients with AIDS, autism, and with children of inmates. This slide, from his lecture, reads: “San Vittore Prision: Small place where children can design, interact with volunteers, among them clown and, in my case, a paperfolder. It is difficult to reach out to adults, but it remains an important goal as it would improve the “tranquility” of the environment.”
were there any remarks like “your model sucks” among the children. Less competition equals to less aggressiveness. I always stress that in origami, we don’t produce objects, we make objects. This substantial difference in approach leads us to consider each model made by each child as an icon of the moment, the instant which we are living in that moment of space/ time. All models are beautifully folded just
Another model very popular among the children of inmates, and also adults.
because they are ours, not anyone else’s. The patience, accuracy, precision, dexterity were not by anyone else, and it follows that the folded model is gorgeous because this child has gorgeously created it. The challenge of precision and accuracy that everyone is encouraged to have makes the atmosphere quite intimate. Unlike many typical school situations of talking heads, here I'm surrounded by children sitting on the ground, all eyes on me. Perhaps a familiarity with the traditional “circletime” archetype and “energy circles” helps to create an unspoken mutual understanding. And it's encouraging to experience how the different teaching models flow together.
I particularly like this interpretation of origami as fluid path. It represents both the finished object and the process of making it just because inseparable, they can't be analyzed separately. When we fold origami, the entire individual is involved in a dual synthesis of body and mind. Anyone who has tried it knows that when you fold a pleasant model that you have mastered, breathing starts to slow down and the mind begins to cheer. All my effort is oriented to translate that marvelous feeling into the workshop and into the hearts of those children. I'd like to end with this thought: not every model is a winning model, and not every time is a good time. But who cares? I put my focus into the process, adapting it to each child's ability, cognitive level and age. I give my knowledge—hopefully with an amusing touch—with sincere smiles and with an open heart. Origami does the rest. During a time of stress, fear, suspicion, and anger, origami is a key for putting sincere smiles on even the most closed-off faces. Even for the San Vittore prison's children, origami provides a transcendent time of creativity, togetherness, and peace.
Ranana Benjamin and Florence Temko 2013 Awards by Rachel Katz (NY), photos by Andrew Cribb (NY)
This year, the Ranana G. Benjamin Teaching Award went to a creator as well as a teacher who got communities involved in creating origami replicas of iconic Jeanine Mosley buildings. You probably realize I'm referring to the brilliant creator of clever action modulars Jeanine Mosely(MA). She found a way to morph her Menger Sponge into projects that involve hundreds of children—particularly inner city ones. The pride they took in seeing the finished product and knowing they'd been a part of it is indeed wonderful. During a project at the University of Southern California, she got students in all disciplines involved creating her Snowflake
Sponge. Drama students worked alongside math students and many others to create a memorable experience. Using her techniques, Jeanine inspired Rob Ribaudo (NY) to create a beautiful origami model of The Wang Center at Stony Brook University. It was first displayed at Origami Heaven Fold Fest and the University has displayed it on several momentous occasions.
Michael Schneider
Michael Schneider is the recipient of the Florence Temko Lone Folder Award. Michael comes from a small town in Wisconsin and has had a passion for origami for years. He is the young-
est recipient of the award to date. Focusing on compressible box pleating, Michael is studying the individual forces a fold makes to paper that affects the model's final shape. He's hoping to find real world applications for this. Michael will be attending college in the fall studying Material Science. We're glad that Ruthanne Bessman (WI) found this talented young man and will be anxious to see what he discovers. The Michael Shall Volunteer Recognition Award went this year to Ros Joyce (NY) for extraordinary service to OrigamiUSA. The committee is comprised of: Ruthanne Bessman (WI), Judy Hall (FL), Penny Sing (NJ), Joel Stern (CA) and Rachel Katz (NY) We will accept nominations for these awards until May 1st of 2014. Please see the OrigamiUSA website for more information. Fall 2013 | The PAPER 23
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How to Make a Big Spash with a Festival Origami Tent by John Scully (OH) For the past three years, the members of Ohio Paper Folders have been running origami tents at two local events—the Columbus Asian Festival and the Greater Columbus Arts Festival. Approximately half of our 80 members found us through these events, plus we have added dozens of convention attendees, had several small TV spots, connected with many schools and organizations, so these have been a major factor in our growth. At the Asian festival we teach hundreds of people a basic model in one weekend, and interact with literally thousands more. They are drawn to us through a large display case full of origami, an eight foot banner and this year a colorful origami flag on a 20' flag pole. If your group is planning to participate in one of these events, check your area for arts festivals, state fairs or Asian festivals. Then, do your best to get them to give you a free or discounted tent. Now that we are in our third year, the Asian festival gave us a 10'x20' tent in the sponsor area for the price of a 10'x10' vendor tent—i.e., we paid $600 for a tent that others paid $2,000, because they see us as a huge draw. Other events give us space for free. But NEVER, NEVER, NEVER let them put you in the “childrens activity area.” That means 4 and 5 year olds, and guarantees you’ll hear over and over: “Can you teach little Suzie to fold a crane please?”
Planning for the event: • Start organizing four or five months in advance. • Watch Craigslist for cheap/free display cases. Post a “wanted” ad on Craigslist. Try for a five or six foot display case, preferably with locking doors.
• Have pre-planned models to teach (Never say “What do you want to learn?” —they will answer, “Can you teach me to fold that complex dragon in the case?”). We selected six modular and four nonmodular models to teach—half really simple and the rest just a bit more complex. Chinese wheel, Eifel star, fleximasu, simple butterfly, a crown, etc. • Find someone with decent graphics skills and design a full color banner—we get an 8'x2' full color outdoor vinyl banner from Bannerbuzz.com for $43.00. We also got a vertical 5'x1' flag banner from them for $26.00. I made supports for the 8' banner from ¾–inch conduit, eyebolts and U-bolts to clamp them to the tent poles. The telescoping 20' flag pole is $49 at harbor freight. • If possible, also create a brochure to hand out to people at the event. Our brochure talks about both our convention and our other activities, driving home the fact that we will teach origami in schools, homeless shelters, hospitals, etc. We get full color tri-fold brochures, full bleed glossy stock printed at gotprint.com for $249 for 5,000. (We go through a lot of them.) • Be sure to have a good range of items for the display case—we have modulars, boxes, tessellations, traditional, supercomplex, about 20 money folds, etc. You watch people walking by, glance over and stop dead and stare, then come over for a closer look. The display case is the real attention getter. • Try to have a lot of people available to teach. Depending on the event, we have had anywhere from two to ten people teaching at one time. • Always have someone free to stand at the display case and engage people. They come up to look—you chat, hand them a brochure, ask them if they want to sit down and learn to fold something…
• Consider using cheap, heavyweight paper, especially for the modular models. We purchase reams of Astrobrights colored printer paper at Officemax and have them cut to 8½ inch and 5½ squares on their big cutter. This year we purchased 24 reams, half cut to each size. • Finally, have some donation jars, and consider putting together origami kits to give away in exchange for donations. This year we covered the total cost for both festivals (including the 24 reams of paper) through these donations. We used designs in the public domain and others with permission of the designers. We put paper, the diagram and a sample module for two different designs into a gallon baggie. Total cost to us—around $0.60 per kit. We offer them for a $5.00 donation, and we brought in about $900. So…we had to invest about $850 in the festivals, brought in $900 and ended up teaching hundreds of people, adding many members and were mentioned in newspaper articles, TV news spots and more. All at a net cost of zero…if you ignore the hundred plus hours of planning and prep by our members. We built up to all this over three years, starting with a small display case and a 10'x10' tent to a much larger presence now. As a final note, I have MS publisher templates for banners, origami flags, brochures, postcards, etc. I would be happy to make them available to anyone who can use them, or even help customize them for your use. John Scully,
[email protected]
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60 years ago
1953—A Year of Wonders by Laura Rozenberg (NY) Lillian Oppenheimer did not start her career in paperfolding until she was well into her 50’s. Learning how to fold the flapping bird was a revelation to her. It happened in 1953, a year that brought other luminaries into paperfolding as well. (Photo courtesy by the Archives of OrigamiUSA. Photo by M. Edelstein, undated. Origami outlines and montage: Masao, 2012)
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The OrigamiUSA Board Meeting was well under way on June 25 this year when someone dropped, almost absent-mindedly, an intriguing question: “Do we have any origami anniversaries this year?” “Well," I replied. “As a matter of fact, we do. And more than one," I beamed. I guess no one was expecting to hear something so conclusive. “What?," Wendy Zeichner said holding back a smile. “True! Just 60 years ago, the year of 1953 was a remarkable year. David Lister, the British origami historian who recently passed away, made the interesting observation." All the eyes were fixed on me. I had caught their attention. Unfortunately we didn’t have much time to go into the details, so I made a mental note to write about these facts later. Lister was right—the year of 1953 had been an Annus Mirabilis (Year of Wonders) for the history of paper folding and the reasons why are worth telling. 1. Lillian Oppenheimer: the awakening of a passion In 1953, Lillian was 55 years old and already a grandmother. Not that she had in mind to start a new career in her life! She had had a taste of paperfolding some twenty years before while she was raising her children, especially when one of her daughters, Molly, was sick with meningitis. Lillian had purchased a book to entertain her while she stayed in the hospital. The book had an explanation on how to fold a flapping bird; but the diagrams seemed too complicated, and the legend goes that at that time she never finished the model (another version of the story goes that Lil-
lian didn’t realize there was a flapping bird in that book, so she actually didn’t fold it because she didn’t see it!) It would take Lillian almost 20 years to get back to that bird! One evening, during a family party, Lillian glanced a man—Laura Kruskal’s stepfather—who was at the back of the room folding a flapping bird. Intrigued, she approached, but the man mumbled something about not knowing how to teach the folding, so Lillian left sad and empty-handed. Then, in 1953, Emily Rosenthal, a teacher at the New School of Social Research in New York, finally taught Lillian how to do it right.* It definitely was a turning point in Lillian’s life. It was such a great feeling of accomplishment and it was so much fun that she promised herself she would try to teach it to as many people as possible, whenever she could and wherever she went. And that’s what she did. She dedicated the rest of her long life to the art of paperfolding.
2. Gershon Legman “discovers” Akira Yoshizawa Gershon Legman teaching how to fold a flapping bird to children attending a workshop during the first exhibition of Akira Yoshizawa at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam (1953). (Photo courtesy of Judith Legman.)
Not far from Lillian’s home, in the Bronx to be more exact, a man named Gershon Legman was also discovering origami and finding that it was a fascinating, but hardly explored field. He was a scholar of
popular culture and also a bibliographer, so he decided to apply his knowledge to an area ingeniously creative and surprisingly underestimated by those who considered it a mere children's pastime. He began to compile a list of books on the subject from around the world in order to learn as much as possible about its origins and techniques. Although the information was scattered and often inaccurate, he started drafting a history of paperfolding employing the myriad of data that even today is hard to believe he was able to gather. For his more simple, straightforward project of a bibliographical list, Legman sent literally hundreds of letters to libraries, scholars, booksellers and trading companies requesting information on vintage and new books on origami. By 1952, he self-published the first and most comprehensive bibliography on paperfolding with more than 300 entries. He sold the 8-page leaflet right from his home-based mail business at 8 cents a piece. But Legman was dangerously approaching a crossroads in his life, too. Having studied topics that were considered immoral at that time (his interests ranged from bawdy words to dirty jokes to criticism on what he called a “replacement” of sexual content with violence in the media), and because he was openly against censorship, he
*There is another version brought up by Gay Merrill Gross that dates 1952 the year when Lillian Oppenheimer learned how to fold the flapping bird. 26 The PAPER | Fall 2013
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ended up being the target of regulatory entities to the extent that the FBI went after him (or so he thought). These were the years of McCarthyism in America, so the threats he received were not a joke. When it became evident that he could end up in jail, he decided it would be in his best interest to move to France, where he stayed for the rest of his life.
“These strands were initially separate but it was their eventual coming together that brought about the revolution in paperfolding, not only in Europe, but in much of the world.” -David Lister The stress during the months before his self-exile didn't stop Legman from working as hard as usual. He continued doing research on his main topics of interest as well as on paperfolding. He was not associated with any formal institution, so technically it was the work of an amateur, but one of an extremely talented mind. After years of research, he pinpointed the major centers for paperfolding creativity (Japan, Spain and Argentina). He was eagerly looking for more clues from Japan and was trying
to find an elusive part of an encyclopedia called Kan-no-mado. His efforts led him to a startling finding that would change forever the way paperfolding was regarded in the West. And what he found was a man. In 1953, he learned for the first time about the existence of an extraordinarily talented paperfolder. The master was living in Japan and his name was Akira Yoshizawa. It took Legman several months before they started a fruitful correspondence, which led, a few years later, to the opening of the first exhibition of Mr. Yoshizawa’s work in the Western world. The exhibition took place in Amsterdam in 1955, at the Museum of Modern Art (the Stedjelik Museum). How Legman and Yoshizawa got to know each other is a long and fascinating story worth another article, so right now I won’t go further than stressing the importance of that year, 1953, when a man in Europe reached out for an obscure and poor master in Japan.
3. A British magician and a reclusive woman join the club 1953 was also a wonder year for Robert Harbin, the British magician, whose books on origami were used by generations of
paperfolders all over the world. According to David Lister, Harbin became acquainted with Gershon Legman due to a most fortuitous event. An American film producer living in England, Cy Enfield, was looking for a magician to play a part in a movie. The role was finally given to Harbin, and it is said that when Enfield saw Harbin folding paper during a break, his mind clicked and he remembered his old classmate in New Jersey—no other than Gershon Legman. So in 1953 thanks to Enfield and his good memory, Harbin became connected with Legman, and years of fruitful correspondence followed. That’s not enough for 1953 to be the year where it all started. Gershon Legman also contacted Ligia Montoya in that year, a reclusive paperfolder living in Argentina with whom he kept corresponding until her untimely death in 1967. And David Lister himself said that his own interest in paperfolding took off in 1953, when he learned to fold the Chinese Junk. One could argue why that happened. “Coincidence seemed to have taken charge," said Lister. But also the field was becoming ripe for a change.
1853-1953 One hundred years of relationship between Japan and the Western World by L.R. — Gershon Legman knew how to write seductive letters. But on January 20, 1953, when he sat to write a letter to the editor of Asahi Shinbun, the most prominent newspaper of Japan, he just wanted to please him. And he pitched on a perfect excuse. He realized that 1953 was a year of enormous significance for both Japan and the West. It represented the 100th anniversary of the opening of commerce between Japan and the West! So he set to write: “My interest stems from an international study of Japanese and Hispanic paper-folding (origami) which I have been attempting to compile over the last few years for publication in the British Journal of Occasional Bibliography, to commemorate—in a small and folkloristic way—the centenary of the opening of your country to intercourse with the West in 1853.”
Was that his real purpose? Probably not. But he got what he wanted: an orientation on Japanese origami books, and, if not enough, a hint that would lead him shortly to the “discovery” of the man who changed origami forever: Akira Yoshizawa.
Excerpt of the letter that G. Legman sent to the Asahi Shinbun on Jan 20, 1953. (Letter courtesy of L.R. collection of archival documents).
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Special Guest at 2013 OrigamiUSA Annual Convention
Ralf Konrad Ralf Konrad was born in Brandenburg, Germany in 1960. Origami fascinated him from childhood, but a visit to an origami exhibition in Paris in 1993 turned out to be a decisive event for his origami career. Later a search for a creative gift landed him on the webpage of beautiful gift boxes designed by Tomoko Fuse. This was the beginning of a wonderful journey in the realms of origami. Over those years he attended many national and international conventions, met many origami artists and exchanged ideas. Paul Jackson's ideas and experience influenced his development significantly, as did the work of Alex Bateman. Soon he was one of
the first tessellation folders and creators in Germany, and has created many models of his own, folding some of them in miniature. In December 2006 he was invited to the Italian convention where he met Eric Gjerde, who included Ralf 's work and his “Star Puff ” model in his book. Ralf is a well-published origami artist with his models and diagrams finding space in many national and international journals and books. He published his own booklet named Cussinus Sterne in 2011 in Germany. He is also a proud exhibitor in “The Art and Science of Origami,” an exhibition organized by the Jaffe Center for Book Arts, Florida Atlantic University Library in USA
in 2012–2013. Presently, apart from being a computer administrator, Ralf is occupied with his new book on modular tessellation techniques. The following are some of his fantastic tessellations, explained by himself. The Paper asked Ralf if he could send us some examples of his work, along with a brief commentary on each. Out of his many designs—flowers, boxes, stars, animals, geometric models—we chose to show his amazing nano-tessellations, a technique in which he excels. It is also an interesting dialog with Frank van Kollem's tessellations featured in this issue (pages 9-12).
Nano Cube Star Tessellation 2518
Orden Tessellation 3420
This is my smallest tessellation. In 2008 Joel Cooper posted a tessellation picture which was as big as a thumbnail on Flickr and sparked a competition. The Nano Cube Star was my entry in this unofficial competition. The material used is 34g windows glassine. I started with a 45 x 52.5mm rectangle in which I folded a 32 Grid. The distance between two folds is 1.4 mm. To protect it I kept it in a passport picture frame.
This is another “nano cube star“ tessellation, with a larger nano cube. I started in the middle with a hexagon consisting of six twist folds. I folded five rings consisting of twist folds around this hexagon. Finally I opened all the twist folds to obtain a cube effect. The material used is 34g windows glassine. I started with a rectangle of 13 x 15cm in which I folded a 64 Grid. The distance between two folds is 2mm.
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Sweet Heart 3476
Hexagon Flagstone 3410
This is a nano “sweetheart” tessellation folded from dark yellow silkworm glassine 40g. The starting rectangle was 13 x15 cm in which I folded a 64 Grid. The distance between two folds is 2 mm. It is very important to fold precisely so as to get a good result in the end and also the tessellation will look accurate.
This is a nano flagstone designed by Joel Cooper and folded by me. On the front side are the hexagonal tiles and on the back side are the twist folds. The tile pattern on the front side depends upon the differential arrangement of the twist folds on the back side. The material used is Carape, which is a wafer thin, solid-colored, soft tissue paper of about 20g to 25g. In a rectangle of size 65 x 80 mm I have folded a 32 Grid and then I cut out a hexagon. The distance between two folds is 2 mm.
Tessellation 5751
Magic Cube Tessellation 3416
This is my latest tessellation. I folded it for the 25th German Origami I can call this work as my masterpiece. I folded it from 40g silkworm convention held in Weimar 2013. It is made from 40g silkworm glassine. The starting rectangle was 64 x 75 cm in which I folded a glassine, 64 Grid and distance between two folds is 2mm. 128 Grid. It took many weeks to fold this Grid and further many more days to arrange all the twist folds. The distance between two folds is 5 mm. This is one of my most beautiful tessellations. Fall 2013 | The PAPER 29
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Book reviews Origami for All by Ioana Stoian Review by Sara Adams (Germany) 80 pages, paperback Simple to Intermediate $17.50
First impressions count. And this little book definitely got full marks from me. I’ll talk about the designs later, but what made me fall in love with this book started with a different aspect entirely. It’s the love of detail put into this publication that made me fall in love with it: the great paper quality; that they added a joint (a score line by the back of the book to ease opening the book); their minimalistic presentation, which also allowed them to provide the accompanying texts in five languages: English, French, Spanish, German, and Japanese; that understated, beautiful cover featuring a line drawing of Ioana’s penguin design. But of course you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. Well, let me tell you the contents live up to the high expectations I had. Unusually for me, I started with the first design, and folded all sixteen models in the order presented in the book. Each fold was such a pleasure that I didn't want to skip any of the models to skip to that one favorite model I often identify with other books. True to its subtitle the designs are simple and elegant. Each piece is truly beautiful. The diagrams are very clear, Eric Gjerde did a wonderful job presenting Ioana Stoian's original designs. No explanatory text accompanies the step diagrams, and there is no need—a testimony to the quality of the diagrams. In that, I think it is a book that is highly suitable for beginners, as well as all origami lovers with an affinity for elegant and minimalistic models. Some models remind me of traditional designs, which often have that same feel to them. I'd say you can fold these models in two ways: first, as a simple, quick fold, which works from just about any paper you have at hand; or second, with carefully selected paper to make the true beauty of these simple folds speak clearly, but yet in a soothing voice of serenity. You can view a full table of contents on origamiforall.com. It features photos of each design, which may better show what I tried to express in words. Maria Sinayskaya from goorigami.com nicely displays how Ioana Stoian's designs blossom when folded from complementing paper. Check out her Flickr stream at flickr.com/photos/goorigami/ for some great examples. The accompanying site to the book, origamiforall.com, also
features some sample diagrams, namely for the heart, the fish, and the only model that requires some cuts, the bat. Two instructional videos are also available at youtu.be/OkgJs0ZCK5M (Bracelet, video by Sara Adams) and youtu.be/l424loZVhXQ (Pengiun, video by Leyla Torres). Additionally, various sources for buying the book are listed on origamiforall.com/buy—which includes online stores in Europe, USA, and Japan. You can also purchase directly from The Source. I'd like to end this review by adding an excerpt from an email reply I received from Ioana after I congratulated her and Eric on the fantastic book they had put together. Origami for All is meant to look and feel like a school book from the 50s-60s. It is to be used and abused, put in a bag, taken on the bus, shared with friends and family. It's not a book that's supposed to spend its life on a dusty bookshelf! To this I can only say: If school books of the 50s and 60s looked like Origami for All, then those were beautiful books indeed! And I will be sure to help make Ioana's wish come true, and take Origami for All with me on many occasions. With the enchanting simplicity of her designs, I am sure to delight my fellow folding friends, as well as introduce novice folders to the wonderful world of origami with ease.
news from the source The Source ran an online survey recently to get a better idea of the kinds of origami books and papers that OrigamiUSA members were interested in. We learned that members felt we had a good mix of books and paper, that there was interest in more foreign and hard-to-find books, and we got some help in picking the colors for the new large Tant sheets that we now have available. Thanks to everyone who took the time to fill out the survey! Take a look through the new products below and you will see that we took the suggestions to heart. There are many new books from talented overseas authors, as well as unusual books from closer to home. We have brought in special origami paper from Austria and Germany, as well as the aforementioned large Tant sheets from Japan. There are also custom made 20-color Tant packages with colors similar to our Kami assortments. Keep checking the website for more exciting products in the future. Subscribe to the OrigamiUSA members email list, follow us on Twitter, or watch the OrigamiUSA facebook page for updates as well.
New Papers ORIGAMI STARS KIT 3" squares, 210 sheets | P03-7833 | $12.00 CHIYO SAKURA 3" squares, 210 sheets | P03-7833 | $5.75 KALEIDOSCOPE DUO WINTER MIX 4" squares, 48 sheets | P04-0064 | $10.50
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New Books Members receive a discount. Check the website for the complete list of prices. ORIGAMI IN ORDINE SPARSO Author: Carboni 16 original models, including a monkey, pig, marmot, elephant, carp, walrus, raven, angel, devil, a full set of chess pieces (pawn, rook, bishop, knight, queen and king), and the 95-step complex dragon pictured on the cover. Information about each model is included, diagrams are clear and detailed.
TOILET PAPER ORIGAMI ON A ROLL Author: Wright 32 more ways to decorate your toilet paper rolls. Some designs are for use on the roll and some to decorate the spare roll waiting on the shelf. Designs include tulip, swimming swan, lovely heart, celebration cake, palm tree, pretty posy, candlestick, ship ahoy, pumpkin, reindeer, shooting star, tropical fish, and more. Black and white photo diagrams with overlaid crease lines, clear text descriptions for every step. 112 pp. | PB. (S-I) #B13-123 | $14.95
THREE & TWENTY BIVALVE MOLLUSKS: PAPER FOLDING Author: Orndorff
In Italian. 90 pp. PB. (I-C) #B13-118 | $24.95
MODULANDIA Author: Dray 15 original modular kusudama balls, stars, flowers, and wreaths by Enrica Dray. Two of the models are unusual creations using strips of paper to create stars with and without a center hole. There are several variations pictured as well as an airy Christmas Tree formed from the strip stars. Models include Luna, Clok, Fior Da’, Aurora, Rondo, Trilly, Strisce a stelle, and more. In Italian. 64 pp. | PB. (I) #B13-119 | $17.50 BEAUTIFUL ORIGAMI BOXES Author: Fuse An amazing variety of boxes in one book. There are single sheet boxes, modular boxes, and boxes with sloped sides. The box tops have unique facets, petal shapes, and windows. Box shapes include square, rectangular, triangular, hexagonal, trapezoidal, and octagonal. Included are unique inserts and dividers for the boxes. Colored diagrams aid assembly of the modular boxes. Gorgeous color photos for inspiration and exceptionally clear diagrams. In Japanese. 98 pp. | (I) #B13-121 | $21.00
MICHAEL LAFOSSE’S ORIGAMI BUTTERFLIES Author: LaFosse & Alexander A beautiful full-color, full-sized book of butterflies. The book starts with several interesting articles on the authors, paper selection, uses for folded models, and Michael LaFosse’s butterfly design system. There are models for 26 exquisite butterflies, several of them published for the first time. Each model is folded from a single, uncut square, and includes a short paragraph and a haiku about the person the butterfly is named after. Included are two DVDs showing Michael teaching every model and demonstrating wet-folding techniques. Clear diagrams with text explanations and full-color photos of finished models, mostly folded from duo papers, but some photos show butterflies folded from candy wrappers, currency, mosaic foil, and hand-made papers. 112 pp. Includes 2 DVDs | (I) #B13-122 | $19.95
Lots of shells (cockle, oyster, mussel, scallop, clam, quahog, etc.) done in a unique style that is related to troublewit folding, pleating, and corrugations. About half the models have grayscale step diagrams with helpful text explanations, half are crease patterns with photographs. A model for the Linnaeus seed envelope is included at the end. Printed on acid-free paper. The author was the special guest at Origami Columbia 2012 where this book was launched. 106 pp. | PB. (LI-HI) #B13-124 | $15.00
ORIGAMI FOR ALL Author: Stoian Subtitle: Elegant Designs from Simple Folds. Book contains 16 original designs. Introduction and folding symbols explained in 5 languages (English, French, Spanish, German, and Japanese); clear origami diagrams are presented without explanatory text. Models include Name Holder, Heart, Two-Part Box, Envelope, Bracelet, Penguin, Sitting Monk, Flower, Christmas Tree, and more. 80 pp. | PB (S-I) #B13-125 | $17.50
METTE UNITS 8 Author: Pederson This long-awaited sequel includes 10 new modular stars, rings, and a box, plus some additional variations. Models include Flower Star, Marunokoboshi, Foil Ring, Flowerburst (an action model), Bande blomst, Festival Flowers, and more. Clear grayscale diagrams with full-color assembly instructions and text descriptions on each step. 30 pp. | PB. (I) #B13-126 | $12.00
ORIGAMI BIRDS Author: Montroll 34 origami birds from Anhinga to Woodpecker. All models are folded from a single square of uncut paper, with attention paid to the unique features and characteristics of each bird such as the Rooster’s tail,
the Owl’s eyes, the Turkey’s wattle, and the Flamingo’s long legs. Included are some more unusual avian subjects, such as the Crowned Crane, Hoopoe, Sacred Ibis, Quail, and Roadrunner. Each model includes interesting facts on the real-life bird. Many models are new, some have been published in earlier books. Color photos and color diagrams with helpful text descriptions. 128 pp. | PB. (I-C) #B13-127 | $19.95
HORSES IN ORIGAMI Author: Montroll 26 wonderful horse-themed models from John Montroll and an international group of contributors. Models range from mythical (Pegasus, Unicorn, Centaur) to useful (Horse Bookmark and Pop-Up Horse Card) to various horse breeds (Quarter Horse, Clydesdale, Mustang, Lippizzan). There are easier models (Stick Horse, Simple Pony, Ponytail Pony) and more complex models, such as a Painted Horse that uses both sides of the paper to achieve the color effect, and a horse and rider from a single sheet. All models are folded from one square sheet of uncut paper, except for one horse folded from a dollar bill. Each diagram includes interesting facts on the model. Color photos and color diagrams with helpful text descriptions. 128 pp. | PB. (S-C) #B13-128 | $19.95
3D ORIGAMI ANTI DIAMONDS Author: Montroll Antidiamonds have faces that are identical 4-sided kite-shapes symmetrically staggered around the central equator, resembling a very well faceted crystal. Antidiamonds have not been well-explored in origami before. This book presents 24 unique models from squat to thin, and with differing numbers of faces, all folded from single square sheets. Folding sequences make use of interesting symmetries and locking mechanisms. Models are somewhat more challenging to fold than the ones in Montroll’s 3D Origami Diamonds. Grayscale diagrams and helpful text on the folding steps. 120 pp. | PB (I-C) #B13-129 | $11.95
ORIGAMI BUTTERFLIES MINI KIT Author: LaFosse & Alexander Kit contains a booklet with diagrams for 6 butterflies (plus one variation), 24 duo sheets to get you started folding right away, and a DVD teaching the models. These butterflies are all different than the ones in the authors’ larger Origami Butterflies book (Item # B13122). Color photos and diagrams, with helpful text descriptions on the steps. These beautiful butterflies look nice on cards, can be made into origami jewelry, and can add life to an origami flower arrangement. Kit makes a nice gift or stocking stuffer. 32 pp. | PB. (I) #B13-130 | $9.95
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GLOBAL EVENTS CALENDAR September 14–16, 2013 | Nippon Origami Association | Tokyo, Japan Information: www.origami-noa.com October 3–7 2013 | PCOC (Pacific Coast Origami Convention) | Albuquerque, New Mexico | Information:
[email protected] October 4–6 2013 | Ultimate Origami Convention #7 | Lyon, France October 24–27 2013 | VI International Convention of Perú (Cusco) Special Guests: Danny Ponce (Perú), July Condori (Bolivia), Alexander Oliveros (Colombia) October 31–November 3 2013 | CDO Convention | Tabiano Bagni, Italy Information: Roberto Gretter
[email protected] November 8–November 11 2013 | International Convention of Origami Colombia | Cali, Colombia | Information: encuentroorigamicolombia.blogspot.com January 9–11, 2014 | OASIS (Origami Artists of Israel) Kibbutz Ein Gedi, Dead Sea, Israel | Special Guest: Bernie Peyton Information: origami.org.il April 12-13, 2014 | British Origami Society | Birmingham, England
For more information about joining OrigamiUSA, please go to our website at www.origamiusa.org
How Cool Is This Help support OrigamiUSA by downloading diagrams from The Origami Source, your one-stop online shop for books, videos, paper, and now… downloadable files! Check among dozens of exciting models, like Bernie Peyton’s most celebrated "Angry Fish" (origamiusa. org/catalog/products/angry-fish-pdf). This model has everything you would want to fold: lots of color change, a locking fold, it blows up with air, and its jaw opens and closes when you move the tail. All proceeds from the sale of the angry fish diagram go to OrigamiUSA.
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