Artists and designers who distort a material’s surface as a form of creativity

Francisca Prieto

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Fig. 1 Prieto, F. (2018) Traces of absence/Schroders. A collection of 19th and 20th century bond and share certificates from Schroders + treated brass and nickel silver. 105×165 cm each (triptych). At https://www.blankproject.co.uk/artwork/traces-absence-schroders (Accessed 01/07/2020)

This triptych is beautiful to look at with the three pieces creating one long rectangle of colour. On closer inspection it is made from numerous perfectly folded pieces of bond and share certificates and invites the viewer to look carefully at the images. These papers which are now worthless have been made into something beautiful. The folds create shadows and would look different from another angle and also in different lights.

The idea of creating perfect folds to create an abstract or figurative image intrigues me – the mix of line and shape with what could for instance be an accidental amalgamation of pieces. The use of old papers, relevant to the institution in which the piece is installed also creates a resonance which is something I would like to consider in future when choosing materials.

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Fig 2 Prieto, F. (2012) Between Folds/Illuminated Ornaments Illuminated Ornaments selected from manuscripts of the Middle Ages by H. Shaw and Sir F. Madden. William Pickering: London 1833. 118×74 cm At https://www.blankproject.co.uk/artwork/between-folds-illuminated-ornaments (Accessed 01/07/2020)

I am drawn to the richness of colour in this piece, contrasting with the text. I have been to see ‘The Book of Kells’ in Dublin and was particularly drawn to the decoration, delicacy and colours of the illuminated letters. It is interesting to see how Pietro has taken inspiration from this type of decoration to create something so different and yet so reminiscent. The papers are perfectly folded to reveal what the artist wants the viewer to see and arranged to create a large letter ‘I’. From a distance the piece looks like a page with the rich pattern and colour of the initial letter contrasting with the rectangular arrangement of the text pieces alongside. Again this piece would change depending on the angle from which it is viewed and the light source. This piece excites me to learn more about folding – I enjoy maths and puzzle solving and am intrigued by the idea of combining this with design and colour in my own way. I could look at this piece all day every day and find something different to see.

Paul Jackson

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Fig 3 Jackson, P. (1990s onwards) Organic series Begun in the mid 1990’s, the Organic pieces are made from one folded, uncut sheet, usually without glue. The surfaces
are made with dry pastel and a sealant. They are usually 15-25cm in the longest dimension. At https://www.origami-artist.com/artwork/organic/ (Accessed 01/07/2020)

I am amazed that these pieces are made from one sheet of paper because they truly are organic in appearance – they make me want to hold them and feel every crease and curve. The fact that straight folds can create circles and undulating shapes is exciting, and the subtle colouring enhances each fold. I am not sure that I could achieve anything like these pieces but I have ordered Jackson’s book for further instruction. I can see that experiments with different materials could be inspired by the shapes and colours of these shapes and that the scale could be played with.

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Fig 4 Jackson, P. (1984) One crease series The red and white pieces are made from wet-folded 400gsm watercolour paper. The yellow pieces are 80gsm copy
paper. At https://www.origami-artist.com/artwork/one-crease/ (Accessed 01/07/2020)

The beauty of these pieces I think is their simplicity. In particular the shape of the red and white piece shows off the way in which the paper is shaded red to white and back to red again. The shadows made by the creases in both pieces create movement and interest. Also the back of the paper is as important as the front. I think it would be interesting to pursue this idea of simple folding with fabric pieces – maybe when photographing a flat piece of work.

I have now bought the Paul Jackson book ‘Folding techniques for designers from sheet to form’ and am very excited to use it to help with my sampling.

Goran Konjevod

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Fig 5 Konjevod, G. (date unknown) Pleat tessellations: folding copper Simple Bowl 36 gauge copper sheet 36 x 36 inches

At: http://organicorigami.com/gallery/Pleat%20Tessellations%2008/html/15-bowl36-copperA.medium.html (Accessed 02/07/2020)

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Fig 6 Konjevod, G. (date unknown) Pleat tessellations: folding copper Dish 36 gauge copper sheet 36 x 36 inches

At: http://organicorigami.com/gallery/Pleat%20Tessellations%2008/html/28-bowl24-copper3A.medium.html (Accessed 02/07/2020)

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Fig 7 Konjevod, G. (date unknown) Pleat tessellations: folding copper Infinite twist 36 gauge copper sheet

At:http://organicorigami.com/gallery/Pleat%20Tessellations%2008/html/50infinitetwist.medium.html (Accessed 02/07/2020)

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Fig 8 Konjevod, G. (date unknown) Pleat tessellations: folding copper Tree 36 gauge copper sheet

At:http://organicorigami.com/gallery/Pleat%20Tessellations%2008/html/62tree.medium.html (Accessed 02/07/2020)

Konjevod works with paper, metal mesh (including copper) and some cloth. I wanted to focus on a different medium so I have chosen to look at his works in copper. Many of these start with a square yard of copper sheet. The copper can be manipulated into many forms as it holds its shape well and the resulting forms are opulent and full of texture. The shine of the metal catches the light and colour of its surroundings. I am interested to see if I could incorporate stitch onto the metal before or after it is folded – this would be possible with a fine sheet or mesh and would change the end result. Also maybe other materials could be stitched on that wouldn’t normally hold their shape.

Jule Waibel

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Fig 9 Waibel, J. (Date unknown) Unfolded rug Made with woollen felt

At:https://www.julewaibel.com/project_subtype/unfolded-rugs–4-53–.html (Accessed 03/07/2020)

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Fig 10 Waibel, J. (Date unknown) Unfolded cushions Made with velvet

At:https://www.julewaibel.com/project_subtype/unfolded-cushions-4-46–.html (Accessed 03/07/2020)

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Fig 11 Waibel, J. (Date unknown) Unfolded vases Made with acrylic foil

At:https://www.julewaibel.com/project_subtype/unfolded-vases–acrylic-4-52–.html (Accessed 03/07/2020)

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Fig 12 Waibel, J. (Date unknown) Unfolded lingerie Made with organza

At https://www.julewaibel.com/project_subtype/unfolded-lingerie-5-88–.html (Accessed 03/07/2020)

Jule Waibel works with a range of materials and one of the interesting things about her work is that it unfolds and refolds with use such as the vases that unfold as they are filled with water, the lingerie that changes shape when worn, and the cushions that retain their creases when the folded velvet is made into cushion covers. She uses heat setting with moulds to set the pleats and folds in her materials. These pieces excite me because they are so tactile and ever-changing – some such as her fashion pieces seem to literally breathe with the wearer. I am inspired to try the heat setting exercises in part 1 and also to work with wet felting to create shapes that stay in place when the wool is dried. Heat setting with moulds and ties could be combined with colour such as in tie dyeing maybe – I’m not sure how strongly synthetic materials which respond well to heat would be responsive to dye.

Anne Kyyro Quinn

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Fig 13 Kyyro Quinn, A. (Undated) Loop design Made with wool felt

At http://www.annekyyroquinn.com/2015/03/loop/ (Accessed 03/07/2020)

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Fig 14 Kyyro Quinn, A. (Undated) Tulip

At http://www.annekyyroquinn.com/2015/03/tulip/ (Accessed 03/07/2020)

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Fig 15 Kyyro Quinn, A. (Undated) Rosette design Made with wool felt

At http://www.annekyyroquinn.com/2015/03/rosette/ (Accessed 03/07/2020)

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Fig 16 Kyyro Quinn, A. (2014) Rue Marbeuf, Paris. Reception Area Wool Felt

At http://www.annekyyroquinn.com/2015/09/36-rue-marbeuf/ (Accessed 03/07/2020)

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Fig 17 Kyyro Quinn, A. (2015) St James, London lift area Wool felt

At http://www.annekyyroquinn.com/2015/09/st-jamess-street-lift-area/ (Accessed 03/07/2020)

Kyyro Quinn works with 100% wool felt which has amazing properties! It is durable, resilient, hypoallergenic, and self extinguishing with a flashpoint of over 450 degrees celsius. It has good insulating properties, absorbs sound and vibration energy, and absorbs harmful pollutants. What an amazing material! – I can see why Kyyro Quinn uses it to cover walls and surfaces and make curtains in commercial and domestic situations. The way in which she manipulates the sheets of felt together with the choices of colour makes it very tactile and sensuous to look at. There is a lot of movement and I find the whole effect very soothing. The folds and cuts are mathematically exact and sewn perfectly. These patterns could be used to inspire manipulation of other materials such as paper, cardboard and metal and the proportions could be altered and combined to create different effects. The pieces really make me want to experiment with wool felt in my samples.

Bibliography

Jackson, P. (1990s onwards) Organic At https://www.origami-artist.com/artwork/organic/ (Accessed 01/07/2020)

Jackson, P. (1984) One crease series At https://www.origami-artist.com/artwork/one-crease/ (Accessed 01/07/2020)

Konjevod, G. (date unknown) Pleat tessellations: folding copper Simple Bowl At http://organicorigami.com/gallery/Pleat%20Tessellations%2008/html/15-bowl36-copperA.medium.html (Accessed 02/07/2020)

Konjevod, G. (date unknown) Pleat tessellations: folding copper At http://organicorigami.com/gallery/Pleat%20Tessellations%2008/html/28-bowl24-copper3A.medium.html (Accessed 02/07/2020)

Konjevod, G. (date unknown) Pleat tessellations: folding copper Infinite twist At http://organicorigami.com/gallery/Pleat%20Tessellations%2008/html/50infinitetwist.medium.html (Accessed 02/07/2020)

Konjevod, G. (date unknown) Pleat tessellations: folding copper Tree At http://organicorigami.com/gallery/Pleat%20Tessellations%2008/html/62tree.medium.html (Accessed 02/07/2020)

Kyyro Quinn, A. (Undated) Loop design At http://www.annekyyroquinn.com/2015/03/loop/ (Accessed 03/07/2020)

Kyyro Quinn, A. (Undated) Tulip At http://www.annekyyroquinn.com/2015/03/tulip/ (Accessed 03/07/2020)

Kyyro Quinn, A. (Undated) Rosette design At http://www.annekyyroquinn.com/2015/03/rosette/ (Accessed 03/07/2020)

Kyyro Quinn, A. (2014) Rue Marbeuf, Paris. Reception Area At http://www.annekyyroquinn.com/2015/09/36-rue-marbeuf/ (Accessed 03/07/2020)

Kyyro Quinn, A. (2015) St James, London lift area At http://www.annekyyroquinn.com/2015/09/st-jamess-street-lift-area/ (Accessed 03/07/2020)

Prieto, F. (2018) Traces of absence/Schroders At https://www.blankproject.co.uk/artwork/traces-absence-schroders (Accessed 01/07/2020)

Prieto, F. (2012) Between Folds/Illuminated Ornaments At https://www.blankproject.co.uk/artwork/between-folds-illuminated-ornaments (Accessed 01/07/2020)

Waibel, J. (Date unknown) Unfolded rug At https://www.julewaibel.com/project_subtype/unfolded-rugs–4-53–.html (Accessed 03/07/2020)

Waibel, J. (Date unknown) Unfolded cushions At https://www.julewaibel.com/project_subtype/unfolded-cushions-4-46–.html (Accessed 03/07/2020)

Waibel, J. (Date unknown) Unfolded vases At https://www.julewaibel.com/project_subtype/unfolded-vases–acrylic-4-52–.html (Accessed 03/07/2020)

Waibel, J. (Date unknown) Unfolded lingerie At https://www.julewaibel.com/project_subtype/unfolded-lingerie-5-88–.html (Accessed 03/07/2020)