The assignment this go round was to imagine a culture with a problem to solve, and then, using nothing but paper products, create a vehicle designed to somehow solve it.
I’m always amazed when I hear of artists who are able to envision their work emerging from their materials before they’ve even lifted a finger. There’s a well known story of Michelangelo, who when asked by the Pope how he created the statue of David, pointed to a block of stone and answered “It’s simple. I just remove everything that is not David.” Well good for you, Michelangelo! When I’m presented with a stack of cardstock and told to make something out of it, what I envision is an abundance of Band-Aids and a recycling bin running over with crumpled, bloody paper. My approach with any medium is less about realizing the potential I’ve foreseen, and more about screwing up until I stumble upon a way to start screwing up with purpose. This project was no different.
The first thing I did was start cutting, tearing, rolling and folding paper, seeing how it worked and what I could do with it. For me and the way I like to work, this is an essential part of any artistic endeavor: figuring out the unique properties of whatever I’m working with. It’s learning the vocabulary before trying to articulate a statement. Of no surprise, I had much more success rolling cylindrical shapes than anything that required a high degree of manual dexterity or accuracy. I know from years of trying my hand at origami and wrapping Christmas and birthday presents that meticulously folding paper is not “my jam.” I’m like a surgeon trying to perform an operation after sitting on his hands for an hour, I know what I’m supposed to be doing, but my appendages aren’t cooperating.
Armed with a stack of paper tubes, I got to work on brainstorming the problem/solution aspect of the assignment. I knew I would be working with round, organic shapes as opposed to hard surfaces and sharp edges, so I tried to come up with something thematically relevant. A benevolent response to some issue. Ultimately, I went with the idea of addressing war/conflict/violence with an instrument so non-lethal it was almost silly. Rather than riding into battle by horse or by tank, my imaginary people would be mounted by saddle to robotic hands, settling disputes via thumb-wrestling or “rock, paper, scissors.” Enemy combatants invading your territory? Flick them, like paper footballs, back across their borders. Some miscreant is trying to flee? Grab him, and hold him still while you slap the cuffs on. Minor offenses? Enjoy your major spanking. The applications are endless.
It was still pretty tricky to construct. Attaching cylinders to other shapes was a particular headache, and I managed to get glue in so many unintended places that the final model was basically immobile. I learned a valuable lesson in paper craft by discovering that it’s much easier to improvise on your original design before it’s been assembled into a three dimensional object. Challenges aside, this was one of the more gratifying projects I’ve undertaken. Probably because it was the only time the piece has been able to offer a congratulatory high-five once it was finished.
