Mar

Brought Into the Fold of Robert Lang’s Origami

by Janine Boylan on March 17, 2014

Peace Flight origami sculpture, showing the creative process of Robert Lang (Image © Robert Lang)

Peace Flight
Robert J. Lang and Kevin Box
Folded 2013; Composed 2013
cast stainless steel on stone; approx. 3′ x 2′ x 4′ on stone
© Robert Lang

A Creative Process Governed by Math

Dr. Robert Lang can make paper cranes. But his origami cranes not only have feathered wings and three toes on each foot, they soar with life.

Origami artist Robert Lang engaged in his creative process. (Image © Robert Lang)

Origami artist Robert Lang
© Robert Lang

In 2001, this physicist/engineer left his successful science career to write a book about how to make your own designs for origami, the traditional Japanese art of folding paper.

Why the career change?

This obviously brilliant man, who has 50 patents awarded and pending on semiconductor lasers, optics, and integrated optoelectronics, had an “Oh, I see” moment:

There were plenty of other really good engineers and managers that could do whatever I could do as an engineer, but I felt like there were few people who could write this book.

So he took a risk, left his job, and decided to see where it would take him.

Millions of folds later, he has found that origami continues to take him beyond what he could have imagined.

Koi, opus 425, origami sculpture, showing the creative process of Robert Lang (© Robert Lang)

Koi, opus 425
Folded: 2002; Composed: 2002
One uncut square; 15″
© Robert Lang

Lang’s work has appeared worldwide in both ads and art shows.

He works in the more traditional smaller origami size as well as life-size. He even works in currency. While much of his work is made from some sort of paper, he has collaborated with sculptor Kevin Box to render a number of his pieces in metal.

Dollar Camera, origami sculpture showing the creative process of Robert Lang. (Image © Robert Lang)

Dollar Camera
Folded: 2009; Composed: 2009
Two uncut one-dollar bills; 3″
© Robert Lang

The Math

When he switched careers, Lang admits at first he was worried that giving up engineering would mean giving up the mathematical work he loved so much. But, he says:

The math of origami is as interesting as engineering ever had been. The itch [to work with math] gets scratched as much by origami as it ever did by physics.

To make an origami figure, Lang goes through four steps:

He starts with the subject.
Then, he draws a tree figure (like a stick figure) of the basic shape.
Next, he creates a folded-paper base with flaps for the appendages.
Finally, he forms the specific shape into the model.

Diagram of the four-step creative process of origami design. (Image © Robert Lang)

Four-step process for origami design
© Robert Lang

The tree figure and the final shape are the easy parts. Creating the base is the hard part. That’s where math comes in.

The math of origami is about shapes and relationships and forms, not necessarily arithmetic. The folding pattern to create a flap (or leg or antennae) is based on a circle pattern. The smaller the flap, the smaller the circle (a quarter circle is the smallest amount of paper you need to make a flap).

If you know how to “pack” these circles, which represent the body parts, and fill the remaining paper with a mathematical crease pattern, you have an origami pattern—and have solved another math challenge.

Stag Beetle BP, opus 477, origami showing the creative process of Robert Lang. (Image © Robert Lang)

Stag Beetle BP, opus 477
Folded: 2005; Composed: 2005
One uncut square of Origamido paper; 5″
© Robert Lang

Solving Puzzles

A passionate scientist, Lang sees every origami design as a puzzle to be solved, especially the ones he does for artistic purposes.

His deep plunge into understanding the math behind his work has helped him create figures one could never imagine would evolve from a single flat piece of paper. Lang explains:

What is possible in origami is defined by the mathematical properties of a folded sheet of paper; if you understand the math, you can use it to create a lot of forms that you probably wouldn’t have discovered just by intuition.

Sure, there are some challenging projects Lang has begun that are not done yet. And that’s how he sees it—they aren’t failures; they are just not done yet. He feels that nothing is impossible since he is always learning new techniques and approaches.

Siam origami sculpture, showing the creative process of Robert Lang (Image © Robert Lang)

Siam
by Robert J. Lang and Kevin Box
Folded: 2012; Composed: 2002
cast bronze, silver nitrate patina; 10″ x 8″ x 6″
Selby Fleetwood Gallery
© Robert Lang

What’s the Point?

Origami is wondrous, but it’s also useful. Lang explains:

Problems that you solve to create something beautiful turn out to have an application in the real world.

Scientists needed to get a football-field-sized lens into space, but it had to be carried on a spacecraft. What inspired their design? Origami.

Doctors had the idea of placing a stent in a human artery, but it had to be tiny to get to its destination. What inspired their design? Origami.

Squaring the Circle origami by Robert Lang, showing creative expression. (Image © Robert Lang)

Squaring the Circle, opus 596
Folded: 2009; Composed: 2006
One uncut irregular sheet of Japanese paper; 12″
© Robert Lang

Engineers wanted to put inflatable, expanding air bags in cars for emergencies. What inspired their design? You get the idea. . .

Sharing the Lessons

Lang seems to be as passionate about teaching origami technique as he is about creating the designs. A natural teacher, Lang makes the math behind folding circle patterns to create flaps simple and logical, as illustrated in this TEDtalk.

Why the interest in teaching? His response is a perfect reflection of his precise art: there is a satisfaction in delivering a well-crafted presentation.

But he also reflects,

Maybe it’s because when I discover something, the ah-ha moment is really fun—that moment when you’ve discovered something new is a rush. When I see it in someone else’s face, I am vicariously experiencing it by seeing it in them.

Oh, I see, Dr. Lang. And we at OIC couldn’t agree more!

Robert Lang provides folding patterns for a number of his pieces on his site. Get additional guidance from Origami Instructions and find free download patterns from Origami USA.

Comment on this post below, or inspire insight with your own OIC Moment here.

Janine Boylan Comments

Innovations/The World's Art & Design

Mar

Same Animal + Different Cultures = Surprise!

by Bruce Goldstone on March 13, 2014

Falling cat, illustrating animal sayings that vary in different cultures and languages. (Image © deshy / iStock)

“If this is Life #7, I sure hope I’m an English-speaking cat!”
© deshy / iStock

Animal Symbols and Sayings

All over the world, cats are known for their seemingly magical ability to escape dangers that would be fatal to other, less feline species. But different cultures and languages vary in how they talk about kitty’s special talents.

English speakers describe their death-defying trickiness by saying cats have nine lives. Consider 9Lives cat food, and its spokescat Morris, who vouch for the statistic.

Cats have the same reputation in Spanish, but in that language, they get only 7 lives. Are cats in Spanish-speaking cultures really less resilient than those where English is spoken? No, cats are cats, but the animal symbols and sayings across cultures may be quite different.

When you cross cultures, it’s a good idea to understand the differences so you don’t make a monkey out of yourself. Here’s some help with other critters in the animal kingdom.

Who’s Wise?

In ancient Greece, the wise goddess Athena was often depicted with or represented by an owl. That literary tradition plus the stately stare of the owl made this bird a symbol for wisdom in most Western cultures.

Wise-looking owl, representing wisdom, an animal symbol that varies in different cultures and languages. (Image © lingkuo / iStock)

Owl = Wisdom, right?
© lingkuo / iStock

But not everyone thinks owls are all that clever. In India, the owl’s stare is considered dopey rather than penetrating, leading to its reputation as a dim-wit. In fact, the Hindi word for owl— oolu—can also mean dolt, idiot, or fool.

Dopey-looking owl, reflecting an animal symbol that varies in different cultures and languages. (© Catherine Philip/iStock)

Maybe owls aren’t super smart after all.
© Catherine Philip/iStock

And in the Netherlands, owls are a symbol of being stubborn, uncooperative, and inflexible. There’s a Dutch saying that goes Wat baten kaars en bril, als den uil niet zienen wil? (What difference do light and glasses make, if the owl doesn’t want to see?)

Interpreting the Turtle

For many English speakers, turtles are symbols of slowness, persistence, and determination.

Turtle moving slowly, reflecting an animal symbol that varies in different cultures and languages. (© nwhaa / iStock)

Turtles always mean slow and steady, don’t they?
© nwhaa / iStock

But in, Thailand, turtles are associated with something very different. Watch this ad and see if you can figure out why it makes sense.

If the video does not display, watch it here.

Yep—that’s an ad for deodorant because turtle in Thai is slang for body odor.

Monkey Business

In some Western countries, monkeys are playful tricksters. English speakers talk about monkeying around, monkey business, and more fun than a barrel of monkeys.

What do you talk about when
you talk about monkeys?
© Hung_Chung_Chih/iStock

But other cultures perceive the monkey in a far different way. In Portuguese, monkeys carry an element of sudden surprise. To express astonishment, a Brazilian might say Macacos me mordam! (Monkeys bite me!) It’s like saying “Well, I’ll be damned!” Or, if you ever watched the old Batman TV series, think of Robin’s ever-changing catchphrase of surprise, “Holy [fill-in-the-blank], Batman!”

Regal monkeys, reflecting an animal symbol that varies in different cultures and languages. (© fatchoi / iStock)

Monkeys with a regal air
© fatchoi / iStock

In China, however, monkeys aren’t silly or surprising. They’re clever and noble. At one time, the Chinese title marquis and the word for monkey had the same pronunciation: “hou.” So, in China, the monkey is associated with dignity, social position, and intelligence.

Silken Sayings

Some cultures express the same advice or wisdom in an animal saying, but the animals are different. For example, in English, there’s this saying: You can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.

A pig's ear, reflecting animal sayings that vary in different cultures and languages. (Image © Morgan David de Lossy / iStock)

Once a pig’s ear, always a pig’s ear.
© Morgan David de Lossy / iStock

In Spanish, a saying about monkeys is pretty much the same: Aunque la mona se vista de seda, mona se queda. (A monkey that dresses in silk is still a monkey).

A baboon in a scarf, reflecting animal sayings that vary in different cultures and languages. (© fuse / Thinkstock)

Don’t you think a silk purse
would make this outfit complete?
© fuse / Thinkstock

Animal Anticipation

In English, to caution against making plans for something good until it really happens, people say: Don’t count your chickens before they hatch.

Chick and eggs, reflecting animal sayings that vary in different cultures and languages. (© gpointstudio / iStock)

Don’t count on your friends just yet, little fellow.
© gpointstudio / iStock

In Russia, people express pretty much the same sentiment: не дели шкуру неубитого медведя. (Don’t sell the pelt before the bear’s been shot.) Similar sayings show up in French-Canadian, Danish, Swedish, and Polish.

Brown bear, illustrating animal sayings that vary in different cultures and languages. (© dgwildlife / iStock)

Hey, I’m using this bearskin!
© dgwildlife / iStock

You Don’t Have to Be Real to Play

Different cultures even have different views of imaginary animals. In Western countries, dragons are usually fierce fire-breathing monsters that ravage villages and torment princesses. Something worthy of slaying. But in China and many Asian countries, they’re considered very good luck. Something worthy of celebrating in joyful dances.

Boy hugging Chinese dragon, reflecting an animal symbol that varies in different cultures and languages. (© Digital Vision / Photodisc)

Does this dragon look scary to you?
© Digital Vision / Photodisc

Oh, I see— Manners, taboos, and animals, too, are all part of understanding different cultures and languages. The symbols and sayings that may seem universal are often not. You might think about that the next time the cat’s got your tongue—because in Spanish, they’d blame your silence on mice: ¿El ratón te comió la lengua? (The mouse ate your tongue?)

♦♦♦

For more cross-cultural insights that will make you culture-smart, see “How Much Power’s in a Flower?” and “The Musical Scale Across Cultures.” To get a language fact a day, connect with @languagebandit.

Video of the Thai deodorant commercial VIA The Zealous Water Buffalo.

Comment on this post below.

Bruce Goldstone 1 Comment

Cultural Diversity/Cultural Symbols/Language & Culture/Worldwide Sites

Mar

Adult at Play: The Creative Mind of Javier Pérez

by Sheron Long on March 10, 2014

Open notebook with an illustration turning the spiral into the face of a crocodile, showing how the creative mind of Javier Pérez uses imagination to see things differently. (Image © Javier Pérez)

A Simple Matter of Imagination

Javier Pérez sees things differently. His creative mind is full of the imagination that many adults tucked in a drawer a long time ago. And he likes to play.

Photo of the artist Javier Pérez, whose creative mind and imagination allows him to see things differently.

Pérez works as a graphic designer and audiovisual producer in Guayaquil, Ecuador.

But for his own amusement, each week he collects ideas, does sketches, and selects his best. Every Saturday, he works up 3 or 5 images that he then publishes over the next week.

Adult play and adult discipline. That’s a good process for creative success. As Pérez says:

“Create every day. No matter your skills.”

Why? Just Because It’s Fun

When Pérez looks in a drawer, it’s not to find his imagination. Instead he pulls out everyday objects—pliers, screws, old scissors—and he turns them into art.

Two open pliers that form the torso and legs of cowboys finished with imagination in line drawings from the creative mind of Javier Perez. (Image © Javier Pérez)

The combination of 3D objects and simple lines is a pleasing graphic effect, but it’s the inventiveness of the idea that puts the smile on your face. How clever to see bow legs and overalls in a pair of pliers!

Or a dancer’s legs in the blades of scissors. All she needs are slippers—some simple lines do the trick.

Open blades of scissors with shoes drawn at the tips to resemble human legs, all from the creative mind and imagination of Javier Pérez. (Image © Javier Pérez)

Pérez says he most often starts with the object. He must first see it differently, not for what it is but for what it can be. Then, in about 30 minutes, he adds the illustration—and that’s the fun of it!

Drawing of a porcupine with screws used to form the quills, all from the creative mind and imagination of Javier Pérez who sees things differently. (© Javier Pérez)

Pérez has fun, and he describes where that can lead:

“I began to create these drawings because they were fun to do. When I had barely 1000 followers on Instagram, I don’t think any of us understood the potential of this technique. But I started seeing their appeal once they were published on Buzzfeed.”

Hungry for Simplicity

The popular appeal of the drawings derives from their simplicity, not only the clean, minimal lines but their reliance on the objects of everyday life.

Drawings of a trumpet made from a paperclip and an old phonograph made from a flower, all from the creative mind and imagination of Javier © Javier Pérez, who sees things differently. (Image © Javier Pérez)

Sometimes, just the hint of a line adds the charm.

Drawings of a dog and a cat with Scrabble tiles placed to form the bodies, all from the creative mind of Javier Pérez, who sees things differently. (Image © Javier Pérez)

And when Pérez plays with food, he gets especially creative.

Drawing of an IV tube with catsup package added to serve as the bag, all from the creative mind and imagination of Javier Pérez. (Image © Javier Drawing of an IV tube with catsup package added to serve as the bag, all from the creative mind and imagination of Javier Pérez)

Drawing of globe stand with a cookie added for the globe and North and South America sculpted from the filling, all from the creative mind and imagination of Javier Pérez. (© Javier Pérez)

Anyone Can Play

Pérez started drawing as a boy and never quit, but for many adults the responsibilities of life have stifled imagination. Creative play is a way for adults to recapture it.

The play can take many forms—drawing, cooking, journaling, storytelling, imagining new worlds in video games, music-making, and more. In fact, you can get started right now with this Imagination app from Paul Neave, a web designer in London.

Pérez sees value in the creative process, and he believes that everyone is creative:

“It’s important to create everyday so the mind stays active. With creativity, we can solve problems—easy and hard—in our daily lives.”

Drawing of an artist's palette with M&Ms placed as the paint, all from the creative mind and imagination of Javier Pérez who sees things differently. (Image © Javier Pérez)

Dr. Ben Michaelis, a psychologist writing in the Huffington Post, affirms the importance of imaginative play. His thesis? Play is the four-letter word that will change your life.

To kickstart your adult imagination, the essential ingredient in creative play, follow these words of wisdom from Pérez:

“My advice is that you take in a lot of art, movies, anything that opens up your mind to infinite possibilities.”

Just taking in these charming illustrations from the creative mind of Javier Pérez is a good place to start. Surely, they inspire people to see things differently. Over and over, they made me smile and say, “Oh, I see.” What about you?

Drawing of a submarine made from placing a bent straw on top of blue paper, all from the creative mind of Javier Pérez, who sees things differently. (Image © Javier Pérez)

Keep up-to-date with Pérez’ latest work at Instagram. Pérez set a personal challenge to create something every day in 2013. See the results at 364 Ideas on Tumbler.

Comment on this post below, or inspire insight with your own OIC Moment here.

Sheron Long 2 Comments

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