In 1988, I had the incredible good luck to meet him for the first time. Hints were there in the photos, though his great opus, Origami Dokuhon I, which I eventually acquired, showed folding instructions for a simple horse, but accompanied it with a photograph of an incredibly detailed and lifelike horse, along with a caption that said something along the lines of, “with a little bit more folding, you can make something like this.” Throughout my own origami development, Yoshizawa was the semi-mythical, somewhat mysterious ideal to aspire to. I first learned of Yoshizawa in my childhood via English-language origami books, which described him as the grand master of origami, showed a few of his simpler designs, but hinted at remarkable, unbelievable artworks whose instructions, infuriatingly, did not appear anywhere. Behind his right hand is Michael Shall, OrigamiUSA’s first Executive Director.Īlthough he struggled in his early years to gain recognition, in his last decades, he received worldwide renown and invitations from all over the world, culminating in his award in 1983 of the Order of the Rising Sun. Overall, I want you to discover the joy of creation by your own hand…the possibility of creation from paper is infinite.”Īkira Yoshizawa in New York, 1988. They also encompass religion, philosophy, and biochemistry. ![]() “My origami creations, in accordance with the laws of nature, require the use of geometry, science, and physics. He also pioneered many of the artistic techniques used by modern-day origami artists, most notably, the technique of wet-folding, which allowed the use of thick papers with soft curves, gentle shaping, and rounded, organic forms.Īlthough he was the consummate artist, his work and approach was infused with the mathematical and geometric underpinnings of origami as well as a deep aesthetic sense. To him, each figure, even if folded from the same basic plan, was a unique object with a unique character. He created tens of thousands of origami works. For years he wrote, taught, and exhibited-but mostly folded. ![]() While there were other Japanese artists who explored their country’s folk art contemporaneously with Yoshizawa, it was primarily his work that inspired the world, through a combination of grace, beauty, variety, and clarity of presentation. It has now been the standard for communications of origami instruction for over 50 years. His notation was subsequently adopted by Western origami authors of the early 1960s. He developed a notation for the communication of origami instruction, first revealed in Atarashi Origami Geijutsu, and then in his better-known masterwork, Origami Dokuhon I (1957). His work then came to the attention of the west through the efforts of Gershon Legman, including an exhibition of his works in Amsterdam in 1955.įrom that initial Western exposure, his fame rapidly spread around the world. ![]() In the 1950s, his work began to gain recognition: first, in the pages of the Japanese picture magazine, Asahi Graf, and then, in 1954, he published his first book, Atarashi Origami Geijutsu and founded the International Origami Center in Tokyo (which continues today to promote his work and manage his estate). Over the following decades he took a series of part-time jobs to make ends meet (including selling soup door-to-door), but his single-minded focus was the development of his art. His employer supported his study of paper folding, but it grew and increased its hold upon his imagination eventually he left his job so that he could focus on folding.įor the rest of his life, paper-folding, or as it was by then referred to, origami, was his consuming passion. After several years there, he was assigned to teach geometry to the junior employees and, already having an interest in the traditional Japanese craft of paper-folding, he began to use paper-folding to teach geometric concepts. The son of a farmer, he moved to Tokyo at age 13 and became a worker in a machine shop. This article tells the story: of the man, and the Doodle! About the ArtistĪkira Yoshizawa (1911–2005) is widely regarded as the father of the modern origami art form. In the week or so prior to its appearance, I helped Google put this together, by designing the logo, folding the butterflies, and a few other bits and pieces of assistance. The Doodle featured the Google logo, folded from origami (each letter folded from a single uncut sheet), decorated with origami butterflies folded from one of Yoshizawa’s most famous and iconic designs. The Google Doodle for March 14, 2012, honored Akira Yoshizawa, the father of modern origami, on his 101st birthday.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |