In the same
spirit of simplification that has encouraged the
digital detox movement and the emergence of
pop-up parks, some artists and designers are foregoing elaborate high-tech supplies in lieu of unpretentious paper. From pop art to toy kits to sidewalk ads, paper is gaining ground as a brilliant basic resource—and inspiring incredibly fresh-feeling creations.
Back to Basics: Conceived and constructed by French graphic design duo
Zim and Zou, this in-progress art project features meticulously detailed paper replicas of iconic ’80s and ’90s electronics products. Cut exclusively from
PEFC-certified papers in bright neon pinks, purples, oranges and blues, each full-scale sculpture evokes the flashy aesthetic that defined those decades, poking fun in a way that’s less disparaging than it is warmly nostalgic. Among the most charming reproductions are a
Maxwell cassette and
Sony Walkman, a
Polaroid Lightmixer, and an absurdly clunky
Motorola cell phone. Those interested in the painstaking methods behind paper craft can get a glimpse at the process in
this time-lapse video of the designers at work.
Paper Punk: Grace Hawthorne, cofounder of
recently shuttered DIY mag
ReadyMade, has made a fast comeback with Paper Punk, an original paper craft kit for which she has raised more than $20K via
Kickstarter. Each kit contains colorful pop-out paper shapes that come together, without scissors or glue, into geometric sculptures.
Touted as a mash-up of origami and LEGOs, Paper Punk is designed to foster hands-on, 3D thinking—a skill Hawthorne fears is fading as kids increasingly learn on 2D screens. Paper Punk kits sell
online for $18.95; currently, only three versions are available, but a range of new designs should emerge soon given the recent fundraising success.
Dry the River 3D Horses: To promote the latest single from up-and-coming UK band
Dry the River, creative directors
Phil Clandillon and
Steve Milbourne set out to design a poster that would grab attention on the cluttered streets of London. The resulting “posters” are actually paper sculptures, featuring
3D horses that project from building facades as if in mid-gallop. Opting not to make use of uber-trendy
3D printing technology, the designers instead utilized 3D modeling platform
Google SketchUp to draft their plans, ultimately assembling each sculpture by hand. An artfully made
video captures intern Xavier Barrade at work, pedestrians’ responses to the finished product, and “
No Rest,” the single for which the promotional sculptures were created.
