As I continue to be fascinated by the qualities of paper and its ability to be manipulated and transformed, I want to share this recent experiment that sits on my desk alongside other various projects. Pinching the center of a sheet of tracing paper, and crumpling it, I was able to create a sort of rudimentary cone of sorts. From this shape, I carefully unfolded it and began making creases starting from the center pinch point.
The creases I formed seemed to naturally create a circular spiral without much direction or exertion of will on my part. The resulting effect was rather interesting and by the time I made it to the edge of the page, I had created a wonderful sculpture. It holds its shape very well and is quite springy in response to pressure and outside force.
I am sure there is a mathematical explanation for the reason that the creases form a spiral without little outside influence. But what fascinates me more is the interaction between the seemingly chaotic nature of crumpling paper and the emerging forms that are incredibly ordered and seem to have some underlying principle and set of rules.
The sculpture’s interaction with light is another aspect of this exercise I find interesting. The small slivers of shadows and highlights created by the random crumples and creases are hypnotic; alongside the tactile experience of the lightweight yet durable paper.
The creases are like steep crags jutting out from the earth where two plates are crashing against one another. They remind me of certain peaks in the North Cascades or the Alps.