If you don’t know me, I am a sucker for anything Bauhaus-related. In particular, I am fascinated by the work of Josef Albers and the various exercises and studies he had his students partake in.
One of those experiments, was to create paper sculptures with little to no waste, using a combination of folding and incisions to produce an interesting effect.
Using various reference photos and tutorials, I was able to make a few of my own paper sculptures that have now taken over the apartment. I find their effect quite satisfying and intriguing, I hope you enjoy.
The first model consists of a series of concentric half squares. Each half is rotated 90 degrees starting from the center outwards, then folded so that each half interesects at the middle. This model is relatively simple to construct. My interest had only just been piqued.
The second model takes the same principle as the first but modifies it so that instead of rotating each concentric half-circle 90 degrees, it is rotated 45 degrees for a more complex sculpture.
The third sculpture is produced entirely by folding.
By taking a square piece of paper, and creating a series of concentric mountain and valley folds, a parabolic curve emerges when viewed from the side. The accordion folds also allow this sculpture to be reversible by twisting each corner gently in opposite directions.
To be better appreciated, I hung two of these sculptures from the ceiling like mobiles.
Stay tuned for part II…