Working with Paper in 3D

600 Spots by David Carter

Alexander Calder sculpture

How do we move from two-dimensional works to three-dimensional forms? Using paper as our bridge the question I am asking my students is how can we change the material to make it stand up? David Carter published a series of books I like to use to illustrate this question. 600 Spots is a pop-up book with multiple examples of paper changed to stand up. My students love this book. I love the way it appears to be flat but once opened becomes dimensional. It provides a vivid surprise to the many explorations that can be undertaken in exploring this question.

I also introduce the sculptor Alexander Calder and one of his works that show a sense of scale. I think it is important when possible to make connections that demonstrate a little more than what the initial question asks. My students were taken aback by its size and I fielded a number of questions about if it was made from paper or something else, could you walk under it, what was it, and so on. It was a good way to briefly talk about sculpture in general. Many of my students did not know anything about sculpture.