I was wondering what to do with these blank pages, the ones that need to be written to make these other ones make sense. Developing a manuscript sometimes feels like the messy middle of a construction project, with the piles of debris everywhere, and material under tarp, and the eyesore of scaffolding all you can see, one of those that inevitably leads to someone asking, what is going on here?
It seems like they haven’t been doing much.
Maybe the funding ran out. I forget what it was supposed to be.
Then I learned about the paper artist. He makes these vivid sculptures from the pages.
How does he do it?
Begin with a single fold, he says, and curiosity. The first action causes a transfer of energy. This leads to subsequent folds. I follow to understand, he says, about how the energy moves. If I knew where it would go, he says, I wouldn’t have to do this.
Where do you find it? They ask him.
Everywhere, he says. Music, architecture, Islamic tile patterns, protein misfolding.
My favorite is this: I have this habit of misunderstanding, he says. It helps me see what is often overlooked.
Thank you to My Modern Met for publishing the article, Paper Artist Crafts Incredible Three-Dimensional Relief Sculptures Entirely by Hand, featuring the work and words of artist Matt Shlian. I especially appreciate Shlian’s descrition of his process. Phrases from the interview are featured in this post.