We were asked to create a set of blocks without foam, glue, no added color, and no larger than 16×16″. I began thinking of how to create a 3D object made completely of itself. My mind went back to mathematics, and how shapes can be deconstructed in to 2D outlines. I thought of how I could bend some material in to my desired shape, and how that material would need to be strong enough to hold itself, yet moldable enough that I could manipulate it myself. With that in mind, I thought sheet metal might be a good idea. After making a set of two cubes I analyzed that quality of my work. It appeared that the edges were not extremely well crafted. Without the proper materials, my metal cubes looked rather asymmetrical. Unsatisfied, I further brainstormed how I could make 2D forms hold themselves in to 3d shapes. I then thought of how origami is an art where sheets of paper become beautiful 3D shapes. I decided to make another set of cubes inspired by origami. However, origami paper is not the most durable material, so I switched it out for Bristol. Although harder to work, the Bristol paper allowed for a much nicer and strong finish.
Together, the set of four cubes can be seen together as a collection of how 2D forms can be bent and stacked to become 3D shapes.
