Thematic articles

Folded paper drawing

Drawing with Folded Paper

City plans and their architecture initially exist in the minds of their creators as thoughts that later reveal themselves as drawings. The form of some cities was largely a reaction to geographical or economic conditions; on the other hand, many were planned entities. For me, with cartography, they all become beautiful diagrammatic drawings, whether their form is planned or organic. My sculptures render this cartography as a three-dimensional drawing, using folded paper. If one stood directly in front of the sculptures, the perspective would be that of a perfectly linear drawing; no detail of the paper would be visible. The viewer can only see the interior content of the works if he or she moves sideways in relation to them. The shapes in the folded paper create a series of linear and spatial drawings, delicate shapes that enclose the spaces occupied by the buildings. The sculptures that I create are not an attempt to create an architectural model, but rather an abstract version of the histories of the cultures and civilizations that lived in those cities.

I'm currently working on a sculpture of Chicago that partially translates that vision of the city contained in the Burnham Plan of 1906, a vision that was never built. That plan, in its drawn form, was a marvelous vision of a future transformed city, but only parts of it were actually implemented. The work will contain thoughts and quotes from those famous architects who shaped Chicago's skyline, Daniel Burnham being just one of them. The sculpture will be a kind of drawing of the intentions and imaginations of those who shaped it, the architects' words will flow along the streets and on the walls of the paper blocks. The following quote is from "The Fountainhead" by Ayn Rand, and expresses the thoughts of the main character, architect Howard Rourke: "I would give the most marvelous sunset in the world for a single glimpse of the New York skyline. Especially if you can't see the details. Just the shapes, the forms and the shapes and the thoughts that gave them birth. The sky over New York and the will of man made visible." This quote is part of a sculpture of New York City that I am currently working on for New York University.

The texts can be likened to the forms that the thoughts that have populated the fabric of a city over time take. For example, in James Joyce's Ulysses, Stephen Dedalus and Leopold Bloom's walks through the streets of Dublin create a series of imaginary drawings in space and time. The pattern of texts that make up this sculpture is designed to bring these thoughts and narratives to the visual form of Dublin. The novel itself creates an interior landscape of Dublin, a landscape of thoughts, voices and conversations.

Read the full text in issue 1 / 2014 of Arhitectura Magazine

The plans of cities and their architecture exist as thoughts that reveal themselves as drawings in the minds of their creators. Whilst the form of some cities was mostly a response to the demands of geography or economics, many were planned entities. To me, all become beautiful diagrammatic drawings with the rendition of cartography, whether planned or organic in form. My sculptures render this cartography as a three dimensional drawing through the use of folded paper. If a person were to stand directly in front of the sculptures, the view would be purely that of a line drawing, no surface detail on the paper is visible. It is only by moving to the side that the works reveal their interior content to the viewer. The folded paper forms create line and shadow drawings, delicate forms that simply enclose the spaces that the buildings occupy. The sculptures I make are not an attempt to make an architectural model, more an abstracted version that is capable of containing the histories of the cultures and civilizations that have been lived within it.

I am currently working on a sculpture of Chicago, this will, in part be a work that is building the unbuilt vision of the 1906 Burnham plan for Chicago. This art work will contain the thoughts and quotes from the famous architects who shaped the Chicago skyline, Daniel Burnham being just one one of these. The sculpture will be like a drawing of the intentions and imaginations of those who shaped it, the words of the architects flowing along the streets and on the walls of the paper blocks. The following quote is from "The Fountainhead", by Ayn Rand, and is the thoughts of the leading character, Architect Howard Rourke "I would give the greatest sunset in the world for one sight of New York's skyline. Particularly when one can't see the details. Just the shapes. the shapes and the thought that made them. The sky over New York and the will of man made visible". This quote forms part of a sculpture of New York that is currently in progress for New York University.

Texts can be like the thought forms that have populated the city structure over time. For instance, in the case of Dublin and James Joyce's Ulysses, the walks of Stephen Dedalus and Leopold Bloom as they perambulate through the streets of Dublin, create imagined drawings in space and time. The patterning of the texts in this sculpture are designed to bring these thoughts and narratives into the visual form of Dublin. The novel itself creates an interior landscape of Dublin, a landscape of thought, voice and conversation.

Read the full text in the print magazine.