Innovation in paper

Innovation in paper

ORIGAMI
This is the art of folding paper into recognisable forms using only skilled fingers, imagination and patience.

Origami was invented in China and developed to a fine art in Japan. The foremost master of origami was Akira Yoshizawa who devoted himself full time to this art in 1937 at the age of 26.

The American Museum of Natural History exhibited a Christmas tree in 1983 covered and surrounded by 3,000 origami animals and plants, various origami tableaux and a large number of origami stars.

Scottish artist George Wylie created a paper boat, the Origami, which was launched on the river Clyde at the port of Glasgow on 6th May 1989 during that city's May festival. The Origami was 18 metres long and 12 metres wide.

A new style of folding paper called "Box Pleating" revolutionised origami in the 1960s. Box Pleating enabled the creation of fantastic paper sculptures like "Llupio's Moment of Truth" by Neal Elias in which the figures of a bull, bullfighter and his cape are all folded from a single sheet of paper. Another work "Black Forest Cuckoo Clock" by Robert Lang contained a staggering 20 metres of creases in a model just 40 cms high.

Other Unusual Uses of Paper

	Paper has had a long history of being folded into aeroplanes and boats by kids. It has also been put to other creative uses.
	Apart from inventing paper, the Chinese also invented the paper lanterns, the paper kite, the folding paper fan and the paper parasol.
	Houses in Japan used to be made of light wooden frames and wall panels of waxed paper. Such houses were perfectly safe to live in - especially when an earthquake struck.
	In World War II allied agents were issued with maps and documents printed with vegetable dyes on rice paper. In the event of capture, these could be quickly swallowed.
	Long strips of metallic paper foil called "Chaff" or "Window" were dropped by allied bombers in WW II to confuse German radar.
	Paper as a weapon! Training provided by the American Office of Strategic Services (OSS) to agents included improvised weapons like a magazine or newspaper rolled up tightly into a stiff cone. Rammed upwards into the underside of an opponent's jaw, it was said to be highly effective.