Tuesday, June 26, 2007

Origami Convention II- Or "Where's the Caribou?"


Tesselated Bowls.

I love the folks who read my blog... mostly because I loved them long before I actually HAD a blog. I got all SORTS of e-mail on yesterday's post... MORE bunnies! MORE dragins! (ok, some of my folks are more about spontaneity than spell check). And most predominantly- Where's the Caribou that got you yelled at? So- just a few more- everyone pipe down (& thanks for asking.. you guys are great)


Dollar Bill Praying Mantis


Samurai


Satyr


This T-Rex was just too great to only show his head... he looks JUST like the one from Calvin and Hobbes!



A Sharp Dressed Man


Chess Set


Japanese Cricket


Hermit Crab


Swan


Estrellas (Stars)


Rainbow Geometric


Japanese Zero Plane


My buddy Vernon Isaac's trademark "Vernogami" The MTA should declare him a national treasure- note the form within the form!


A strange island inhabited by giant turtles..and cats.


Here you go Kiwi.. a bunny- no more "Kami Kitties"


Dandelion


Mr Twinkle's Favorite- Origami box, Bowl, Spoon, Cereal and Mini Marshmallows- Silly Rabbit- Trix are obviously for Cats!


And that naughty, naughty Caribou (SEE- I put the sign back!)

:) X

Buddy, Can You Fold a Dollar- The Origami USA Convention


1000 Cranes- a prayer for healing and peace.

Origami abstract forms

I ran back from the a weekend in Connecticut. In late June, I left BEAUTIFUL weather, relaxation, and the great outdoors. I braved a 9 am Metro North train and the Gay Pride crowd- for this. For Origami USA's annual convention www.origami-usa.org. Yeh- go ahead, make fun, they don't have one in your city, unless of course you live here, in which case you've probably never heard of this event- it is infinitesmally small and a wee bit esoteric, but, like the Dachshund Oktoberfest, eminently satisfying with just the right hint of "Oh you are so tuned into the city"- and it's a bit geeky just enough so to be cool.
Working for the big famous paper store I was clued into this event ten years ago- it seems we gave the folders a 10% discount when they showed their OUSA ID at checkout. I was a brand spanking new floor supervisor at the company's downtown location when that year's convention occurred. The faithful origamists descended in droves, many were noticeable by their indoor-dweller pallor, a slight stoop of the shoulders, and arms bent at the elbows with hands clasped in front, ready to fold at the drop of a piece of chiyogami, that along with a tendency to barely refrain themselves from genuflecting in front of our 4,000 sheet paper display. Their OUSA name tags were also a subtle giveaway.

I was a very zealous new employee (22 days on the job, sir!) I was working at the cash register when a customer stood in front of me, efficiently blocking all light- the man was a human eclipse- at least 6'5" tall and almost as broad. Orbiting this man/planet was a tiny bird-like woman in a flowered dress. The gentleman placed his paper choices on the counter and said- in a low rumble- "I hear Origami USA gets a discount". I chirped (God, I was cheerful) "Yes, I'll just need to see your membership card!" His face fell. "I think I left it at the school" I apologized but was firm- no tickee- no origami, sorry. I had read the memo and followed the rules assiduously- I still can't figure out WHY- rules have never been my friend. I hated that I had to disappoint him- "I'm not supposed to do this..." I whispered and rang the order through giving him the discount.

The next day I was working on the sales floor when the birdy flowered dress lady appeared at my side and yoo-hooed "John, she's over here!" As I turned, once again a shadow fell over me as this man approached. He looked down at me and extended one huge hand out, palm up- a paw the size of a dinner plate. Perched in the center of his hand, no bigger than a twenty-five cent coin, was a tiny pink, red and white origami baby carriage. "I just wanted to say thanks" he said, smiling shyly at me. Over the years I have met lots of members of OUSA from all over the world- they truly are very special, giving, people, who really like paper a whole lot.

I have made it my habit- every other year or so, to visit the convention. I do not fold despite the best intentions and assiduous teachings of my friends from OUSA. Thanks to June Sakamoto I can fold a lotus blossom from a paper napkin and make a heart from a round doily- I also can do two "story-gamis" a series of folds that go along with a story to help you remember the folds- this is the way you teach 5 year olds to fold- and me. My skill level does not match even the most amateur of 5 years olds at this event- these children must learn to fold in-utero, pleating and unpleating their umbilical cords until their birth when they immediately take their own receiving blanket and fold it into a replica of the Sydney Opera House.



A Kamiya dragon model by a (gasp) 11 year old. I can't even fold laundry.

The models shown at the convention are nothing short of spectacular and every year I am wowed- so wowed that this year I couldn't keep the camera still- sorry- I tried. The pictures will barely indicate how special this stuff is.. The ONLY issue I have with this event is that while the origami is museum quality the display aesthetic makes a junior high school bake sale display look like the Guggenheim Museum. A few folks managed to make their displays clear and simple enough to observe the sometimes tiny and often extremely complex works- but for the most part everything was cheek and jowl with name tags so large they blocked the view of the works themselves, often being LARGER than the origami models they represented. At one point I was kneeling on the floor trying to take a photo of a particularly beautiful wet-folded caribou, I moved the name tag so I could shoot the entire model and I heard a sharp whining sound. It turned out to be an angry little man chastising me for altering the "display". I have seen games of 52 pick-up that were more ordered! I said thank you. He repeated his admontion twice more. I wondered if he had a paper clip lodged in his throat that was making this particular recording stick. Or if by lodging one there myself he'd pipe down. I said OK. I WANTED to say- "Hey Bud, go fold yourself a girlfriend and calm down" but I refrained. Barely.

So here's a tiny gallery:

There were a great many origami vignettes completely made of paper

These ships were over 3' tall!

And even sported a ship's cat- no origami rats in evidence so... mission accomplished!

A vivid pilotfish!

A table-sized pod of sea turtles, each turtle was about 8" long- even their "ocean" was made of stiffened paper

Mom and Baby Elephants

I didn't notice WHY the frogs were fleeing until I saw the 14" snake underneath the banana leaves- brrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

A peaceful crane

A lovely wet-folded sea otter. Many of the more sculptural pieces are made from extremely stiff paper which has been wet to soften it enough to fold. This little guy was about 10" head to tail.

I liked this stegosaurus but it did not seem he had long to live with the approaching slathering T-Rex!

A spectacular ancient dragon.

Dung beetle.. and dung. How often art imitates...well, dung (this actually may be a first!) Origami poop.

These gorgeous containers are folded from stiffened fabric into bowls.

Barbie has nothing on this wet-folded maid.

In this model, Kong looks like he can actually handle the bi-planes- notice that the female in the background doesn't have satin clinging to her thigh- impressions to the contrary, that's me- not Fay Wray.

Sometimes things got cheesy...

...or downright sleazy!

Or cutesy (my camera clicked this one off I swear- I am allergic to sugar)

For my little buddy who loves the Hungry, Hungry Caterpillar


When a dollar buys a camera (wouldn't Maxwell Smart have loved one this small!)

In the end, despite feeling chastened (I know I shouldn't have touched stuff... I'm sorry) I love being among folks whose enthusiasm for something as basic as a piece of paper so far exceeds my own. And even better, to be in the presence of people whose passion, by folding, is to discover the magic inside each piece.



Forgive me but..May the Folds be with you. :) X

Monday, June 18, 2007

The 360 Degree View



This little piggy's eyes light up red... I also love the curly little tail!

I have a friend named Michael. Michael has a Harley Davidson Ultra Classic motorcycle in Black Pearl and Black Cherry. He also has a boa constrictor named Esmeralda and a few more tattoos than I am accustomed to but he cooks, does graphic design is into yoga and loves music- so we have a lot of things to chat about- more than you'd think since I weenie'ed out on the tattoo and snakes scare me witless. I like it when my comfort zone gets challenged - well, eventually I like it.


Motorcycles have always scared me. When I was 5 or so I witnessed a pretty awful bike accident on a freshly graded road outside the bungalow colony where we were staying. The victims were young and wore no helmets so the accident was, as much as I can recall, pretty terrible, and fatal. From this I gleaned a life-long staunch support of helmet laws and the thought that I would never park myself on the back of a motorcycle. Do not underestimate the zeal of a veteran Harley Davidson fan for sharing his passion for riding or the strength of a fourty-something woman's response to the question, "What are you, chicken?"

Absolutely not. Kind of not. Hide the damned snake and bring on the bike.

Michael picked me up across the street from my office at the corner of 34th Street and 10th Avenue. He could have misinterpreted my greeting- I hugged him so hard someone passing yelled "Get a room!" Obviously clinging for dear life and l'amour look very similar when viewed from the outside. I figured the longer I hugged the longer I lived. My office mates on the third floor cheered out the window from across the street- there seemed to be a lot of misinterpreting going on. I think I might have also hugged a bit hard- when a man who can tattoo HIMSELF says- "I can't breathe here Hun... you're crushing my windpipe." it's time to stop hugging and face the muffler. And exhaust pipes.

It was... a BIG bike- saddle bags (not "side things") and the trunk (not "that box on the back") as well as my very own seat behind the driver- "It's really comfy"- said Michael-I poked it the same way a 4 year old does liver- with extreme prejudice. But it was...squishy (also like liver, funnily enough)- I looked at the width of it, did a little mental math and realized my butt would fit- this was good to know as there seemed to be no other seats available except the driver seat and THAT I would save for some other time. I wondered if, like a horse there was a wrong and right way to mount this puppy- the right approach seemed to be from the kickstand side on the left. I had a fashion crisis on this adventure- I like wearing dresses and skirts to work- but when I thought about how one sits upon a motorcycle I had never seen anyone ride side-saddle. I decided the best course of action was work-worthy jeans- black, black shirt, silver concha belt and the only shoes that went with the outfit- boots, so pointy Michael asked.."Where exactly are your toes in those things?" I wished I could say "Home, with the rest of me." I just smiled weakly. I put on this little helmet, a kind of a cap really- there are two names for this style of helmet- the first is "peanut shell" which kind of made me laugh- strenuously hoping that this teensy thing would protect my peanut- and the nuts inside. The other name is "brain bucket". I chose not to think too hard about that one.

Michael had warned me that city driving was a bit scary- maybe for him. For me, sitting in the parking lot stock-still was a bit scary (serious understatement here). He started the bike- said "Are you ready?" and wisely did not wait for a reply. We took off and at that moment I regretted all the mean things I have ever done to anyone, regretted not travelling more when I had the chance and most of all, deeply regretted drinking a 20 ounce Diet Coke just before leaving the office. My heart was in my throat and racing, lungs pumping and we won't even discuss my bladder. The wind was rushing past me- and cars were a whole lot closer than I thought they should be. Michael hit the gas- or rather he...did that thing with the handle (throttle?) that makes the engine go "vroom, vroom" and we sped down 8th Avenue- destination: Brooklyn and the "Celebrate Brooklyn" opening show with The Neville Brothers at the Prospect Park Bandshell. Michael's sidekick on the bike is a computerized navigation system called a Garmin. It mounts on the handle bars and shows maps, restaurants, gas stations and so on. The Garmin also seems to like to take the long way. I was too breathless to give driving directions, any air I was taking in was being used for promises to my God should I survive the night.



The Garmin. And me, in the rear view mirror.

Wind was whipping past me and even though we stopped frequently for red lights we still seemed to be moving at a fair clip. I had my hands on Michael's shoulders (the seat in the back was kind of like a booster- I was at least 6" higher than the driver.). To his credit Michael was fairly calm when he mentioned "If you dig your nails into my shoulder like that it distracts me from the road" This seemed less than desirable- my nails retracted immediately and I settled for clenching my toes instead.

As with most things- as we rode I became distracted- began to be less aware of being scared. We started onto the Manhattan bridge ramp into Brooklyn and I began to notice the view- not just the traffic or the water or the skyline, though they were all there. It was ... a vista without obstruction. No windows or doors, no walls, just me- and the wind on my body, the sun on my face. Three hundred and sixty degrees- of view. Of life. Nothing between me and it but living it. Past being afraid was this exhilarating moment - a huge yawning sensation in my stomach that wasn't fear, but a space for new experiences to excite me and feed my soul.

We rode around for several hours more. I learned when we arrived at the park, that the Nevilles had played the night before. Oops my bad. My next life goal will be to learn to read the calendar. But as we went back to Manhattan on my favorite of all bridges- the Brooklyn Bridge, and I saw Mr. Roebling's wonderful structure as never before, spinning its magical web of cables above me and the roadbed flashing past, I realized that it's not about the destination- or even about the journey- it's about all those wacky little detours that make my life so much fun.

:) X 24

Wednesday, June 13, 2007

The Design Now Show- Munnys, Kayaks and Penguins, Oh My!



A Giant Smorkin' Labbit by Kidrobot



Red Shogun and Red Geisha Dunny by Kidrobot- the yearning for a butterfly applique purse pales by comparison. I like to think my taste has developed. No it hasn't. Shut up. I'm not talking to you.


The second part of the Museum Mile/Cooper Hewitt Design Show was all about a serious case of the I wants. I want the see-thru kayak, and the little surfboard with the interchangeable tail by www.mysurfco.com (their tagline is " Inspired not Manufactured" love it!) I want ALL the kidrobot toys- check them out at www.kidrobot.com. I was happy and sad to inform the Kiwi that the little wabbits I bought by the bushel last year are no longer available. Happy to own 'em, sad I am not evolved enough to say- you can have one of mine (no blankin' WAY. You have the hula doll...). Kidrobot specializes in limited edition semi-twisted toys- blood drooling teddy bears and tofu-headed dolls- they decorate my desk and cool people passing by say oh-wow, great art- the not-so aware ones mutter, "she's the director of what?" Director of Marketing, Communications and keep your opinions to yourself, buster.

But this is about serious design. The wonderful thing about this show is most folks can see the latest in innovation in an area they enjoy- architecture, sound, fashion. For me- it was ALL of it. I love seeing where the world is going. I love being connected, even in a minor way, to people who look at the world and see what it could be, then create a world that is that way.



These critters graced the wall and ceilings in one cubicle and are called "Roboreptiles" by Wowwee. Who wants a robotic humanoid when you can have THIS?
www.wowwee.com


From the not-quite-what-it-appears department. Feral Robotic Dogs- from the Cooper Hewitt site: Natalie Jeremijenko, who runs a research lab in the art department at the University of California, San Diego, is changing the way we think about technology. In her Feral Robotic Dog project, she works with teams of high-school students to take apart toy robots and rebuild their physiques and behavior. Armed with pollution sensors, a lowered center of gravity, and all-terrain wheels, the Feral Robotic Dogs head out across the landscape in search of toxins. Released into landfills and urban areas from Arizona to Ireland, the dogs are programmed to seek out some of the same pollutants used in their own manufacture, drawing attention to the toxic nature of high-tech industry. Whereas most consumer robots are designed to dance, yap, or vacuum the rug, the Feral Robotic Dogs are equipped with a social agenda. There's a kit available to adapt your own...



The see-thru kayak- so cool for looking at fish- and if they aren't wearing ugly black socks-your feet! Clear Blue Hawaii’s Napali kayak is the only transparent, foldable kayak in the world and enables users to skim the ocean’s surface like sea mammals. Designed in 2003 by New Zealander Murray Broom



The Nike Free 5.0 sneakers promise to feel like your own bare feet- at about $300.00 a pair....



Processing is at once a digital tool, an online community, a teaching environment, and a powerful medium of visual expression. Created by Ben Fry and Casey Reas, graduates of the MIT’s Media Lab, Processing is the language behind a body of visual projects produced by artists and designers around the world.

This open-source application can be downloaded for free at www.processing. org, a Web site where a global network of users meets to shape the life of the program and share the results of its work. With its direct syntax and elegant interface, Processing enables users with minimal programming experience to create simple, rule-based animations and interactive or self-evolving works. Whereas most commercial animation programs such as Flash employ a familiar palette of drawing tools—brush, pen, paint bucket—and a graphic timeline for organizing elements sequentially, drawing in Processing is entirely codebased, requiring the designer to write instructions for generating a mark on the screen and defining its behavior.

OK I am not pretending I wrote that- came from the Cooper Hewitt site as well.. I can barely understand it.



For those of us who want to change the rooms we live in... now, and again 5 minutes later, there are these great wall decals (removable!) from blik there is something for absolutely everyone at www.whatisblik.com/



The digital textiles by Hitoshi Ujiie were so ethereal and...new, it was easy to imagine how people felt the first time they saw silk. Ujiie was raised in the family kimono printing and design business in Kyoto and has developed a digital process for printing fabric. In case you miss the point- from the Technology Communicator For the designer, the implications are both massive and exciting. As Ujiie points out, design styles that are impossible or extremely difficult to achieve with existing conventional printing technologies can now be produced using digital printing. The technology allows designers to manipulate and print patterns containing millions of colors for over-the-top detail with perfect registration. The ability to quickly and easily produce strike-offs and short run samples, as well as drastically minimize inventory are just a few of the logistical benefits.



Finally- after faithfully attending Star Trek conventions for waaaaay too long I finally made it to the holodeck! Sgt. Blackwell was a Computer generated artificially intelligent... training tool. He talked back. But did not actually ANSWER the question you asked- Ask the Sgt. "What time is it?" he replies " What am I- a clock?" After a few moments I swore Lewis Carroll had programmed this guy. But- the application was incredible. Different characters are created to train army personnel to handle specific situations, like how to negotiate with a resolute doctor in Iraq to move his hospital to a safer area. Oh brave new world that has such beings in it! (forgive me Will..)


In the world of graphic design.. the winners are



Chip Kidd- I asked a friend if he knew Kidd's work. He said yeah- he gets ALL the BEST books. Well YEAH...



Nicholas Blechman- checkout his book 100% Evil a series of disturbing yet funny images depicting war, greed, and the needless destruction of self and others. The two sides meet at the center of the book in a devastating battle of mutual annihilation.



PSYOP... amazing web and print design.

And for the "I already DO Graphic Design m'self" folks... the website www.underconsideration.com. The bad news?www.underconsideration.com/speakup- designers talking about design & culture- there goes the hours of sleep for ME between 3 am and 5 am... here designers talk about graphic design in the world- the big issue these days- the butt-ugly 2012 London Olympics logo. It must be seen to be truly appreciated and- though it need not be stated here, I will anyway- this was NOT part of the Design Now show



OK at this point I have shown you 1% of the cool stuff I saw. At this point I was also completely overstimulated, jealous, inspired, and a little hungry (I saw the show pre-knish). Then I saw the best thing at the show. Better than a Smorkin' Labbit.

Snowworld.

Room with a BIG flat screen tv and on it... Penguins being pelted with snowballs. And Snowmen being pelted with snowballs. And Wooly mammoths being, you get the idea. Oh the humanity..umm snowmanity..woollanity..forget it. I was confused. The graphics were..ok. And the violence NOTHING compared to Resident Evil or any of those police bang bang shoot-em-ups I'd seen from Playstation. WTF?



It takes away pain. No kidding.


Snowworld is a virtual reality program designed by Dr Hunter Hoffman as a way to control pain in severe burn victims. Pain is reduced in these victims by 30%-80% while using the program. Did I mention that Dr. Hoffman donates this program to burn units in hospitals free of charge?

Ultimately it's about changing the world. And created an even bigger I want. I want to, too. "That a man's reach should exceed his grasp or what's a heaven for?" Robert Browning

:) X 24