Re: [Origami] Origami and Art

[Papirfoldning.dk]

Basically I agree. Origami, and more generally folding, is not art in itself, but a technique. I welcome Lorenzo's take. To pinpoint one's inner motivation and feelings is difficult and precisely why defining art is so elusive. Your "own artistic language" seems a bit easier to grasp, even if discussions about originality and plagiarism rear their heads here. In the end "a recognised and recognisable ability to express yourself" is likely the most precise definition, even if frustratingly non-operational. Sometimes in origami we see one person excelling in designing origami models at intricate levels of detail, but another person to fold a model exquisitely, making the model a piece of art. That separation of designer and folder seems why origami is often compared to music (composer and musician), more so than painting, writing or sculpting. Maybe crocheting or knitting has the same feature - I imagine you could be a master of designing knitting patterns without excelling in knitting, and vice versa. A note on terminology: The word "art" can both mean "skill" and "(aesthetic) objects produced through skill and imagination". Thus a book called "The art of drawing" is not about drawings that are art, but about drawing skills, techniques, and a book called "The Art of Folding" explaining skills and techniques for doing origami is named appropriately.  Origami is a noun, and so "The Art of Origami" could be about the skills and techniques, and another book called "The Art of Origami" could contain actual art works by renowned origami artists like Fuse, Garibi, Lang or others, just like an art book with paintings. To disambiguate the former, should you call it "The Art of Doing Origami"? Best regards, Hans Hans Dybkjær http://papirfoldning.dk Society: http://foldning.dk Den 16. aug. 2025 kl. 23.42 skrev Gerardo via Origami <origami@lists.digitalorigami.com>:  I really enjoyed your text, Lorenzo! It was very coherent and well-argued. Thank you for sharing it. You mentioned that you had the opportunity to address the topic of ‘Origami and Art’ and that your writing was in response to a specific question. Would you mind elaborating on the context that inspired your text? What was the situation? Were there different perspectives on the matter? What was the question that prompted your writing? I believe that many discussions about origami and art could benefit from a deeper exploration of their context to provide a broader perspective. Thanks again! -- Gerardo G. gerardo(a)neorigami.com instagram.com/NeorigamiCom Knowledge and Curiosity in Origami: six private classes online "(...) It doesn’t happen often, but when it does, it takes your breath away and fills you with the true joy of origami. I experienced this in my lessons with Gerardo G. I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Gerardo is (...)" C. R. Read the full review