photography by CHRISTOFFER JOERGENSEN
i grafted these claws into the CP as i was playing around with modifications for new models. i think this simple CP (8×8) has great potential for voluminous mammals. however good or nicely the claws might fit into the CP, i think the claws don’t fit this model at all. my friend and photographer of this picture was on point when he said “it looks like a communist bear with renaissance claws“. i was very curious though how the origami community would react. i believe it is a very essential theme in origami. a more detailed rendering of a subject is often regarded as an improvement, which in my opinion is incorrect. i think that a model needs to be coherent. i agree with Ryan MacDonell when he says: “…you should go into more detail on the face if you’re adding claws. It just seems to be a big contrast between detail and smooth folding. ” but i won’t work on the head, i’ll just leave away the claws. …gosh why am i doing this? i hate writing!…
just as those of you who have seen “between the folds” may know, many origami artists reduce the amount of detail in their models over the years. even i have done so in the few years i’ve been designing. with me it has several reasons. for one it is because lately i’ve been doing many installations. having to fold many copies of the same model means that one can’t spend to much folding time on each piece at the same time it also means that it has to be fun to fold. i like folding something really complicated at times just to keep my skill level up or as a fun challenge. but folding a complex model several times is often a pain.
the trend of everybody just trying to design super complex stuff is somewhat annoying. “origami design secrets” has been a gift and a curse in some way. i think it’s great that it has given everybody the possibility to understand origami design and try it them selfs. at the same time it’s as if a great magician had passed on to his wand to his apprentice who doesn’t know how to handle it’s powers. and instead of having one broom doing the work for him he has an army of brooms that is out of control. getting back to origami this means that you have a whole lot of detail but bad proportions or unclean folding. as the great folders of complex origami have often pointed out it doesn’t end when you got all the flaps or even better all the flaps with the right proportions… that’s only the beginning. both super simple and super complex origami have a right of existence but they need to be practiced in a tasteful way. i could go on and on but this is it for now.
8 Comments bis jetzt ↓
1 Artur Biernacki // Feb 6, 2010 at 16:48
Great model and article. Regards
2 Dave Brill // Feb 6, 2010 at 17:01
Nice words! I agree completely. See what I wrote here some years ago for JOAS mag:
http://brilliantorigami.com/idols.pdf
3 Sipho Mabona // Feb 6, 2010 at 17:32
thanks guys i appreciate your comments.
Dave: nice article you wrote.
keeping it simple is hard!
ps: the dogs looks as if it was hovering
4 Cupcake // Feb 7, 2010 at 01:14
Thanks for featuring my comment!
I completely agree with you and Dave. It seems like people are trying too hard to add detail rather than life to the model. Personally, I would like to be able to do both (Kind of like Brian and Robert), but simple models are more my style and they are much more fun for me to fold.
5 Petr Stuchly // Feb 7, 2010 at 01:50
you are so right Sipho! every single word you said just fits.
6 Textori // Feb 7, 2010 at 14:41
Hi Sipho!
Thanks that have shared the creative doubts in a blog… It was very interesting To me to learn your opinion. The aesthetics modern origami is in a formation stage.
I think, you are right – in the second version there was a small discord in the general style of work.
In animalistic works a problem of any artist to find a harmonious parity between symbolical and realistic, emotional and authentic…
I am admired by design of your Koi! It is one of the most favourite mine origami. In this work of only 29 stages of folding. To today’s measures it can be carried to simple-origami. But in it there is a harmony of a natural image and author’s design. It does not require technical improvements…
The complexity of origami works, the abundance of details – it does not pass into eternity….
Should notice that minimalist style was outlined in photos of your latest works. Stylishly, but it is emotionally very monotonous…
Certainly, this my subjective opinion.
Creative successes! Textori.
7 Sipho Mabona // Feb 7, 2010 at 15:57
thanks everyone!
Pavel thanks for your comment. i am happy to hear you like my blog entry.
i think my work of late is a reflection of what i feel or what emotions sourround me. i think you can tell it’s heavily seasonally influenced.
8 manoakys // Feb 9, 2010 at 16:47
I’ve made it. Really nice model. My second successfull fold from cp, with a help of friend
My bear does not have belly. And those squares in front legs, is it closed sink or reverse fold?
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