100 Days Project: 5 Minutes with Angelo De Marchi
As we near the end of this year’s 100 Days Project we grabbed a quick five minutes with Angelo De Marchi, Senior tutor at Yoobee School of Design. De Marchi’s project is all about bringing the “pop-up” back into pop-up cards, and learning more about the challenges of paper engineering along the way.
Hi Angelo, can you tell us a little bit about who you are and what you do.
I’m a tutor at ACG Yoobee School of Design. I’m also a graphic designer and paper artist. I spend most of my spare time working with paper and creating other artworks. My passion is in creativity and mixing handmade art with computer art.
What inspired you to take up the 100 Days challenge this year?
The 100 days challenge forces you to be creative, to produce work, and to really learn about yourself, but my main reason was to see if I could challenge myself again, emotionally and physically.
You’ve done this before, haven’t you? Can you tell us a little bit about your previous project, and how this builds on from what you did in 2014.
In 2014 I created a paper sculpture every day, working with a single sheet of A4 paper and not adding anything to the sculpture. Basically reforming the paper into an object surrounded by its own negative space. I also touched on pop-up cards during this time, but these were more like pop-ups that only really fold half way to show the finished product, (also known as Kirigami). What I really wanted to do was bring the “pop-up” back into pop-up cards and maybe develop my own style of sorts. It also became a good idea when I realised that the folded cards take up a lot less space than paper sculptures.
What are you enjoying the most?
I really enjoy the simple pop-up cards with houses and other 3D objects. The simple ones that are easy to put together are also enjoyable to create.
What are some of the challenges/difficulties you face?
When I first started this project, I thought I knew a lot more about the engineering mechanisms in pop-ups. I was shocked to discover that I knew very little about how pop-ups actually work, and it has been a difficult learning curve. It tires you mentally and physically to try and create something new and workable that fits in the confines of a folded area and shows up in 3D when opened. Coming up with something new every day is not an easy task.
What day are you most satisfied with so far and why?
My typography pop-up card is my favourite. It really merges my two passions—type and paper craft.
How are people responding to what you’ve been making?
Many people respond to my work with pleasant remarks, even though I know that a lot of these creations are just quick things to get “something done”, but these pleasant remarks on my Instagram and Facebook keep me going and force me to continue.
Will you be exhibiting your work at the end of 100 Days?
I will definitely be part of the exhibition.
Is what you’ve been making beneficial in terms of professional development?
Extremely beneficial, I have some excellent ideas on how to use this new knowledge amongst students, and in the industry.
Where do you see it going from here? (What do you think you can take from completing the 100 Days Project again?).
The 2014, my A4 paper 100 Day Challenge, led to a few creative projects for personal clients such as display pieces for Cathy Pope Jewellery; cut outs for a cover for Cuisine Magazine (Oct 2015) and more recently, Instagram adverts for Crafters Union Wines. This project will further my knowledge in paper art and creativity, and though it is very commercial in its use, it does lean towards the artistic. I have already received some interest in book creation and I am planning to do YouTube video tutorials on how to put together some of these creations. But most of all, completing this challenge is, in itself, a huge reward.
See more of Angelo’s 100 Days Project at:
http://100daysproject.co.nz/projects/100-days-2016/angelodema-701
https://www.instagram.com/papermanangelo/
I love seeing what Angelo comes up with every day and I’ll miss it when the project finishes. I followed him in 2014 too and was blown away by his creations.