Above the Fold celebrates the extraordinary artistic achievements being made in the world of contemporary origami. Master artists Erik Demaine and Martin Demaine (Canada/USA), Vincent Floderer (France), Miri Golan (Israel), Paul Jackson (UK/Israel), Dr. Robert J. Lang (USA), Yuko Nishimura (Japan), Richard Sweeney (UK), and Jiangmei Wu (China/USA) transform paper into breathtaking sculpture, large-scale installations and conceptual works that express contemporary social, political, and aesthetic ideas. The size of the featured works ranges widely, with some like Jiangmei Wu’s Ruga Swan measuring almost 20 feet in length, allowing the viewer to walk underneath and see the piece from different perspectives. Jiangmei Wu and Vincent Floderer will be in Springfield on Thursday, January 15 to install their work. Information about possible interviews and photo opportunities with the artists is available upon request.
Origami, literally meaning “paper folding,” has evolved from a Japanese craft into a highly expressive, global art form that intersects and impacts the realms of art and science. Today, artists from all over the world are folding paper into increasingly elaborate and provocative sculptural works, while scientists and mathematicians are using origami to unlock the mysteries of the universe. Since even our DNA is folded, origami artist Paul Jackson has expressed, “You and I are born from folding.” We are all, in essence, works of origami.
The exhibit curator is Meher McArthur, a freelance Asian art curator, author and educator. Formerly a curator at Pacific Asia Museum in Pasadena, CA, she has published several books on Asian art and culture. She now writes regularly about contemporary Asian and Asian American artists for the website KCET Artbound as well as for Fabrik and Artillery magazines.
Above the Fold is organized by International Arts & Artists, Washington, DC. The media sponsor of the exhibit’s Springfield appearance is The Valley Advocate/Preview Magazine.
Erik DeMaine and Martin DeMaine, Kentucky Series: Together, 2012. Mi-Teintes watercolor paper. Photo © Erik DeMaine and Martin DeMaine.