Organic Origami

Only six creases here. From a square of black “krinkle” paper.

A simplified (pureland, only valley and mountain folds) version of Emanuel Mooser’s model shown in Encyclopedia of Origami and Papercraft Techniques. Folded from an 8 by 4 rectangle of origamido paper.

There should be more fractal origami. Folded from elephant hide.

Halfway through the project, it still feels like I just started. Unlike last year’s 50 Waves, I went into this one without a precise idea of what to do, other than rely on nails as much as necessary to produce interesting shapes and surfaces. There are at least two “series” emerging here, one using twisted pleats, the other spiral pleats. Twisted pleats are a device I used before, but in the context of pleat tessellation bowls, and with one exception (in which the twisted pleats are not even visible), I had always fully flattened square twists at pleat intersections. I am happy about the progressive “contrary motion” pieces and have already folded a larger tessellation-style pattern, but there is much more to do.

I had never seriously thought about spiral pleats, and all the pieces so far that use them are very simple, but they are simple to form and very flexible, as long as one doesn’t mind using long rectangles.

From a rectangle of curry yellow elephant hide.

Another trick using a long strip and spiral pleats. A similar helix shape is the result of interleaving a pair of pleat sequences as in the Infinite twist, but simple spiral pleats are easier and quicker. The sheet was formed by gluing back to back a pair of metallic paper strips, one copper the other gold color (whence the title of the piece).

I’ve always thought the parallel lines embossed in this paper at very tight pitch were cool, but never found a good use for them. This is an extremely simple fold, but I like the light curvature formed by pulling apart the very narrow pleats.

Spiral pleats on a long strip of tissue foil, with two opposite points lifted to expose the underside. I normally don’t use tissue foil, but this sheet (made, I believe, by Mark Kennedy) was simply the first handy piece of paper of appropriate dimensions.