WE <3 PAPER ART

It seems like everyday there are big things happening in the field of paper art. In the case of the Heart of Shapes installation by Japanese architects KEIKO + MANABU, they’re literally larger than life.

Originally presented at the Diesel Denim Gallery in Aoyama, Japan from November 2008 to February 2009, Heart of Shapes had a very simple concept: rolled and shaped sheets of paper in playful shapes reminiscent of cookie cutters… but big. And lots of them. When viewed from above, you saw a virtual bouquet of hearts, petals, butterflies and diamonds, delineated by the outlines of the paper edges, and contrasted by the gold and silver lining. But because of the scale of these pieces, you could walk in and out of the constructs, and be immersed in the softly rounded volumes. It’s a case of literally getting into art.

all images © Takumi Ota

It must have been surreal to go in and out of these strangely idealized, rounded forms – not unlike wandering into a giant anime illustration. But the installation was temporary, as most exhibits tend to be, and is now dismantled. However, as fleeting things go it’s nice to know that the pieces were all constructed from recycled paperboard, and were re-recycled at the end of the show.

This reminds me of some work I saw at the recent ICFF, at the Pratt student booth entitled Design For A Dollar. Little step stools were created from old magazines, creating shapes reminiscent of the much larger ones from the Heart of Shapes exhibit, and like those pieces, also of recycled materials. It’s a clever approach to recycling that I also saw in this article from Apartment Therapy, and is a great way to repurpose old periodicals – instead of taking space away from your home, let them add useful utility.

image by Diane Pau for the L.A.Times

For more on KEIKO + MANABU, visit their website at www.keikomanabu.com.

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