World-making: Paper surfaces

As part of an exploration of surfaces I began to think about how spatial planes can have an abrupt change in their form. These sudden changes can be weak points in their structural integrity. Mathematically, they can seen as cusps: zones where an abrupt change in state can occur such as glass snapping, weather events, straws that break a camel’s back, etc. These changes lead from stability to chaos instantly. I looked at swallowtail, butterfly, and fold cusps, forms I identified through research on Wikipedia. Using meandering shapes with creases to reverse direction allowed a stable form to be built, whereas paper with numerous reverse folds to create cusps (like zig zags) and no curves made fewer options for shapes, and less stability. Angular forms tended to bounce apart, and were not easy to make self -supporting. An exception to this was to shape the zig zag paper into a ring with all folds compressed, pushing each fold into its neighbor like keystones in an arch.

I made a small tightly packed form with about 15 feet of 1inch wide paper and a pencil with a round cross-section to create circular bends and reversals. This form could be stood on its side and support weight. 15 feet was contained in a form about 6 high by 7 inches wide.

I tried to drill a hole through the middle of this form to allow light to pass through it in a straight line, but need to figure out a way to do this as I build it.

The last form was made from a 1.5 inch strip with holes punched in the walls so that light could pass into every compartment. I would like to see a small beam of light pass through the structure in a straight line.

A previous question had been “How could an animal relate to the world of the experiment”? My cat loved this experiment and after washing herself in front of it for a minute or two, tried to tear it up. She seemed to like the rustling and vibrating of the paper, and think of hunting in the crevices of it.

I realized that many biological structures have a close-packed, curved layer construction:

Golgi apparatus in cells

muscle fibers

brains

interior of leaves; palisade cells

sponges

feathers

seaweed

mushrooms

Changes in fluid group movements may occur with suddenness e.g. a school of fish, flocks of birds, eddies in wind can redirect themselves in an instant. They may move in spasms many times, but no movement can be reversed and re-done. What flips a coordinated, uneventful grouping into a chaotic, dynamic one, or one that changes direction rapidly? Are there parallels between events such as losing one's temper and crossing a threshold to becoming sick, or having a contagious idea and a contagious disease? How many impulses can we incur from the world before irreversible change occurs? How does anyone turn events in a useful direction? If one sees time and events as a surface, can we even choose a direction, or are we enmeshed in it?

Although some of these forms look lovely, no artistic intent was occurring. These were not intended to be art. What would change these into art? Just my intention? Nor are they meant to be metaphorical representations of thoughts ( that I know of)

More experiments:

Film a flock of birds, or find some footage. Find its lines of movement and abrupt changes of direction

Find out how to cast paper and how to build a plaster mould and create a cast paper surface

What is the largest close packed form I can make (or tolerate working on for the longest time)?

Paper strips ready to use, with a reverse fold