Contemporary Origami: you won?t believe your eyes 

The ancient Japanese art of origami has been transformed from folding simple cranes and jumping frogs into a folding intricate, detailed works of art that are nothing short of engineering genius. It?s hard to believe that some of the animals, dragons and human likenesses created by the world?s top origami masters today are folded from a single paper square, with no tearing, cutting, or pasting?but believe it or not, the rules of origami have remained intact.

Origami is as much a science as it is an art. It is possible, claim the origami masters, to create any and every shape with origami. Of course trial and error will not render such complex designs. Mathematics, including but not limited to geometry, and engineering are the keys to creating these beautiful creations.

Several theoretical scientists have been focusing their energy on origami and how it can explain world. As a sheet of paper is transformed so dramatically without cutting or pasting, scientists ask what this means in terms of other planes. A 22-year-old MIT professor, Erik Demaine, received a MacArthur Fellowship?also known as the ?genius? grant?in 2003 for his ideas about the practical applications of folding. He concludes that protein folding will someday be used to stop diseases from destroying the body.

Some artists are going another direction with origami, creating minimalist paper forms. Others are folding geometric masterpieces, changing and moving origami, crumpled paper origami, and even one fold only origami.

To learn more about contemporary origami and the science behind it?and see some truly amazing works of art?watch the PBS documentary, ?Between the Folds.? The film features 10 artists and scientists who are revolutionizing the way we think about origami.

If you would like to try your hand at origami, this site has folding instructions for more than 400 different models.