Samstag, 22. März 2008
Origami meets knitting?
The so-called chinese 3d-modules seems to be able to take almost any shape with any pattern. The models are made out of many hundreds of small modules which then have to be assembled according to a pattern, that much reminds of knitting or embroidery, rather than of papercrafts. This technique almost completely negates the three-dimensionality of the paper modules: each unit acts more like a pixel. Interesting paradox...
Blue's Chinese 3d modular origami
Mittwoch, 13. Februar 2008
Flickr Groups
I have been posting far to much on origami (almost only), so to restore the balance, please visit the Fabric Manipulation Flickr Group. It has lots of fotos that deal with a very similar issue as this blog: how to make a 2d-material a 3d-surface, and what this means to the material. It shows countless techniques, be it dyeing, stitching, felting, pleating...
Montag, 11. Februar 2008
CraftROBO
The model workshop at my university has a laser cutter, so until now, I thought that this was the only way to cut an intricate pattern into paper without having it to do yourself with scissors or a knife.
But laser cutters are very expensive for private persons - and if you really just want to cut paper, they are far too advanced, since they can also cut perspex, wood, metal... anything, really.
I have not tried it, but this craftRobo-thing seems cool, it works like a printer with a blade I think. The cheapest one (cuts A4-Size) costs around 300 Euro, larger ones up to 3000.
Paper artist Jeffrey Rutzky from NYC has a nice flickr-Stream on his craftROBO-Kirigami work.
Dienstag, 5. Februar 2008
Golic's channel on metacafe.com
Golic's Video Channel
Sonntag, 3. Februar 2008
The Making of Mens et Manus, by Brian Chan
Watch Brian Chan's Video... he doesn't tell you much about origami (except that he's really good at it and you're probably not), but it's still funny.
Donnerstag, 31. Januar 2008
Learn how to read crease patterns!
There are actually a lot of tutorials on basic crease pattern reading on the net! I am collecting some links here, but I have not yet found the time to test them. Still, merely by looking at a few simpler crease patterns, you already get the feel of how your brain should start working, and you start identifying little fingers or other elements, that just seem to jump out of the page/screen.
It was expecially on origami artist Eric Joisel's page, that this happened to me, even though the models are rather complex and I wouldn't be able to fold them. He doesn't teach a tutorial, but just explains a little about his creation process.
creasepattern.com has a nice tutorial.
There is also Eileen's Beginner's Guide to CP, which is looking good...
The whole crease pattern idea seems to have a lot to do with scripting origami patterns on a computer... I'll research more on that as soon as I can.
Mittwoch, 30. Januar 2008
Lothar's Stickprogramm
The resolution can be adjusted, of course. The user can also create his/her own colour palette, or reduce the pallette.
The application basic yet easy (very) to use and free!
but... sadly only for pc.
more modular origami
origami spaceplane
As I am unable to read Japanese, i can only quote pinktentacle.com, who report:
The researchers are scheduled to begin testing the strength and heat resistance of an 8 centimeter (3.1 in) long prototype on January 17 in an ultra-high-speed wind tunnel at the University of Tokyo’s Okashiwa campus (Chiba prefecture). In the tests, the origami glider — which is shaped like the Space Shuttle and has been treated to withstand intense heat — will be subjected to wind speeds of Mach 7, or about 8,600 kilometers (5,300 miles) per hour.
A large spacecraft such as the Space Shuttle can reach speeds of up to Mach 20 (over 15,200 mph) when it re-enters the Earth’s atmosphere, and friction with the air heats the outer surface to extreme temperatures. The much lighter origami aircraft, which the researchers claim will come down more slowly, is not expected to burn up on re-entry.
No launch date has been set for the paper spaceplane, but Shinji Suzuki, an aerospace engineering professor at the University of Tokyo, is thinking ahead. “We hope the space station crew will write a message of peace on the plane before they launch it,” says Suzuki. “We don’t know where in the world the plane will land, but it would be nice to send a message to whoever finds it.” (end of quote)
thanks to christian from synccity.blogspot.com for finding this post!
Mittwoch, 16. Januar 2008
what the...?
There is also a lot of interesting reading material on his website. I love the way he just publishes his patterns, knowing only people as clever as him will be able to make any sense of it. But there are also some less complex, geometric patterns that people with moderare amounts of patience can unserstand - and they look beautiful, look.
By the way - the crease pattern above represents a "flying walking stick" insect:
Bracelet
There are some more interesting designs on the website from AUSTRIA!, some even slightly inspired by geometry... but the bracelet is the best.
Freitag, 11. Januar 2008
Montag, 7. Januar 2008
Modular Kirigami
As already mentioned, my new favourite George Hart has also "invented" some modular kirigami kusadamas. Unfortunately, he is secretive about instructions, but presumably the elements have to be cut extremely precise, probably by a laser cutter.
Explore!
George W. Hart - Sculptor
No need to say that he is also a master of modular origami and even modular kirigami (the art of cutting paper).
His work is on display at several museums in New York, and also a few universities, e.g. Princeton and Berkeley.
Visit his overview page to dive into all the details.
Freitag, 4. Januar 2008
Elizabeth - the Golden Age
Amazing lace collars and textiles play the most interesting and important role in this film.
The tacky website of the film shows some of them.
MAK Vienna: the lace collection of Bertha Pappenheim
Until the 16th of March 2008, the Museum for Applied Arts (MAK) in Vienna will be displaying pieces of Bertha Pappenheim's valuable collection of very exclusive antique lace, mostly bobbin lace.
Unfortunately the exhibition shows nothing about the craft of lace-making and -designing, it only tells us a bot about the collector's character (one of S. Freud's first patients and pioneer of the jewish women's movement)... which is interesting too.
Somewhat unlovingly displayed and explained... nevertheless, the exhibits are beautiful and impressive.
MAK has free entry on Saturdays.
Meenakshi's Modular Origami
Also generous! Lots of diagrams on her website, where we can also admire her adorable family.
Origami Tesselation
Eric Gjerde's musings on origami, tessellations, geometry, design, and art.
Also with a few instructions.
VISIT