PAGE TURNER

German graphic designer Peter Dahmen can make a paper page burst to life. A graphic designer by trade, he’s also added the title of paper sculptor to his resumé, as evidenced by the rather elaborate pop-up creations in these movies. Not your typical narrative pieces, these are more like explorations in paper transformations.

Some forms like Dahmen’s peacock and butterfly are more mundane in theme (though certainly no less elaborate), but I do like his abstract structures that seem especially unexpected for the medium. With pieces ranging in looks from the architectural to the biomorphic, Dahmen seems most interested in pushing the limits of what he can make spring to life on a page. And how!

It’s actually quite fascinating to behold these forms in the videos, because while the finished looks may seem attainable enough for paper crafters, it’s the transformational aspects that can seem mind-boggling. How to get 3-D forms to start flat and fold up and outward again and again has always been part of the allure of pop-up books, but considering how elaborate some of these pieces are, the mental juggling and pre-planning say a lot about Dahmen’s capacity for spatial relations (as well as nimble X-acto cutting skills!).

For more of Peter Dahmen’s work, you can visit his website at peterdahmen.de. You can also read an interview with the artist about his pop-up work here.

If you have any questions, comments or other feedback about The Tear Sheet, be sure to let us know by emailing us at katespaperie@katespaperie.com.

George G., Creative Director At Large, is a New York-based art director whose work spans everything from store display to interactive media. Also an accomplished artist, his illustrations have been published and exhibited in various galleries in New York. Being a self-professed design junkie, he is constantly on the lookout for what’s new and fresh in the worlds of art and design.

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