Folded: Origami at the Intersection of Art + Science

Posted on September 15, 2014 by Lauren Moss

The Williamson Gallery at Pasadena's Art Center College of Design closed the summer arts season with a fantastic exhibition featuring a beautifully curated collection of work by one of the world's most innovative origami artists.

'Folded: The Origami Art of Robert J. Lang' presented over 200 works by the laser physicist-turned origami master. The collection conveys the complexity of form possible by Lang's fusion of mathematics and art, and offers a glimpse into the process of conceptualizing, calculating and creating required to achieve such forms.

At the intersection of art, geometry, mathematics, science and sculpture, the exhibition included wall-mounted tessellations and 2-dimensional geometric patterns alongside stunning folded models of abstract forms, vessels and geometries, as well as realistic representations of animals, insects, and environments of varying scales.

Most designs consist of a single sheet of square paper, transformed through mathematical precision and artistic ingenuity. Installed to create a series of multi-dimensional experiences, from a vertical koi pond to a suspended installation of birds mid-flight, the collection represents a broad range of origami applications and innovations, all of which convey both the complexity of form and simplicity of material inherent to the art of Japanese paper folding.

For additional images and information, visit Robert Lang's website and find more details on the exhibition online. For more from the Williamson Gallery, take a look at favorite images from Ray Eames: In the Spotlight, another excellent show at the Art Center this past spring.

Also, for more innovation installations in paper, view a few favorite photos from Jacob Hashimoto's kite installation at MOCA earlier this summer.