Ana Lisa Hedstrom
FOLDED AND FLAT: REVEALING THE GEOMETRY OF PAPER AIRPLANE
Who hasn’t enjoyed the simple pleasure of flying paper airplanes.
As an artist I have used folds inspired by origami. It was inevitable
that I would discover paper airplanes. I dye the surface of the folded
plane with indigo, open the paper, and arrange them in series of 6. I
repeat, flip, or rotate the dyed paper until a composition satisfies
my eye. The play of symmetry and asymmetry is the essence of this
geometric patterning.
The craft world is rich with Islamic tiles, central Asian carpets, and
American patch-work that embody the mathematics of symmetry. I
empathize with the artisans’ stimulating challenge and pleasure of
working with geometric patterns.
Folded and Flat is an installation of geometric patterns achieved
by dyeing paper airplanes. Each airplane fold is dyed on 6
separate sheets which will then be composed to create a study of
symmetry and asymmetry. In total I have made nine compositions.
Several paper airplanes will hang next to the installation.
In producing this installation there was a process to find the
right paper…one that would hold up to multiple immersions in a
liquid indigo vat. It also needed to be sheer enough to allow the
dye to seep through several layers to achieve different shades of
Indigo. Japan has a long history of papermaking and I utilize a
kozo paper that meets the criteria of the craft.