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ISSUE 1: THE GAMES EDITION
"The problem of recreation in the atomic age"

Boating For Beginners by Neeta Madahar

I've long been fascinated with small-scale models and dioramas and their ability to transport us into an imaginary world where time and distance become distorted. This interest has often worked its way into my art practice. In recent months, I've been researching origami, the art of paper folding as a means of visual representation.

The word origami is derived from the Japanese verb oru (to fold) and the noun kami (paper).

Paper folding has a long history in Japanese religious and ceremonial practices as well as in rules of etiquette. It is still taught in Japanese schools so that students develop better concentration and coordination skills. Today, mathematicians and scientists continue to explore the complex forms that origami can take. I've also heard that medical surgeons create origami models to improve their manual
dexterity.
Using a couple of books and diagrams I found on the Internet, I began making some simple models of animals, flowers and boats. It hasn't taken long for my skills to develop and I'm now exploring more intricate origami designs using a greater variety of papers. Although I'm still figuring out what compels me to make origami models, there is the sheer pleasure of creating a vast array of three-dimensional objects from a square sheet of paper. I also enjoy the craft of paper folding and the meditative process of being completely focused on one task to the exclusion of all else.
One idea I have, is to use the finished objects as props in some of my photographs. For example, I have made quite a number of different types of boats that I'd like to 'sail' on artificial waters. I'm interested in exploring the point at which one's mind permits an origami boat on a silver paper lake to be believable, if at all. Is there an image I can create where one's imagination is willing to work at substituting the failings in the 'truthfulness' to representation?