Erik Demaine and Martin Demaine |
"Natural Cycles"
Elephant hide paper, 9"x9"x9", 2009.
The sculpture is a modular combination of three interacting pieces.
Each piece is folded by hand from a circle of paper,
using a compass to score the creases and cut out a central hole.This transformation of flat paper into swirling surfaces
creates sculpture that feels alive. Paper folds itself into a natural equilibrium form depending on its
creases. These equilibria are poorly understood, especially for
curved creases. We are exploring what shapes are possible in this
genre of self-folding origami, with applications to deployable
structures, manufacturing, and self-assembly.
http://erikdemaine.org/curved/NaturalCycles/
Erik Demaine, Associate Professor, Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Martin Demaine, Artist-in-Residence, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
"We explore many mediums, from sculpture to performance art, video, and magic. In our artwork we look for epiphanies, challenges, and often connections and understanding to help solve problems in mathematics."