Thank you. Please call me Joseph. (Mr. Wu is my dad...)malachi wrote:I just want to preface this by saying that I have a lot of respect for you, Mr. Wu, and I think that you have done a lot for origami.
Disagree? No, not really. A little bit of hair splitting, maybe.malachi wrote:However, I am inclined to respectfully disagree with a couple of your points.
I think it should be obvious that I was referring to visual arts. But, just to use your example of music (which can most definitely be an art), what proportion of people would raise a stink if Hillary Duff didn't release a songbook to go with her new album? (Yeah, yeah...I have a niece who just turned 7...) Now compare that to the proportion of people who do raise a stink when models are not diagrammed...malachi wrote:I take it you don't consider music to be art?
Yes, both have a place, and I'm not ignoring anyone. But consider this: the bulk of the people who whine to me about not diagramming are people who are skilled enough to design, but appear to be too lazy to do so. So many times I get emails that go something like, "I've folded everything I could find online, but I can't fold your stuff because there are no diagrams. You should share more. Diagram these models for me to fold." These are the people I'm responding to. They have the skill to alleviate their own boredom by designing their own models. They have no need for me to do it for them (and, I might add, no right to ask me to do so).malachi wrote:Better is relative.
I think you are ignoring a part of the paperfolding community that might be quite large. There are people that fold paper that do not aspire to design at all, and there are others that aspire to design, but it is a very low priority. Just like many people learn to play a musical instrument yet have no interest in writing music, they simply wish to reproduce the work of others that they enjoy.
For you, origami is an art of creation. For many others origami is a craft of skillful reproduction. I think both have a place.
When someone reaches the limits of what is available to them, they have three choices:
1. move on to something else,
2. seek to expand the boundaries they feel limited by, or
3. whine against the injustice of a world that won't give them what they feel they so justly deserve.
I'm reacting to those who have made the third choice by pointing out the second choice. (The first choice should be obvious, so I usually don't bother to mention it.)
In principle, I don't mind when people ask me about diagrams. I'm flattered, really. However, when the answer is already known, why bother asking? It's a waste of time for both the asker and me. Sometimes people will ask with honeyed words, hoping that somehow I'll make an exception for them. If I won't diagram for myself or for people I know, why would I do something I don't like doing for someone I don't know? And, as already mentioned so many times before, I really get tired of those people who demand diagrams, claiming that I owe it to them. Grow up.
As previously stated, I do document my designs, but not in a form usable by anyone else. Thus, there's no point in releasing them.malachi wrote:I'm not saying that you are obligated to document your designs. I understand your unwillingness to do so.
malachi wrote:I just think that there are many people who are not interested enough in design to be inspired by lack of diagrams. From my point of view, this part of your argument is a little weak.
Argument? What argument? I'm offering an explanation of what I think about this whole situation. And for those who don't like my explanation, I offer an option for how to go beyond their need for diagrams. I'm not trying to convince anyone that I'm right. You can agree or disagree as you like, but you are unlikely to sway opinion, either.You've already pointed out that we are talking about two different views on origami: art vs. craft. Yes, I strive for art when I do origami (usually). And, yes, others enjoy origami as a craft. As you say, there's a place for both. What I'm saying is that when an origami crafter reaches the limits of what they can do, they have a better option for dealing with that limitation than to come pestering me to diagram for them.
I just reread what I wrote, and I know it sounds a bit harsh. I'm not trying to pick on you, malachi, but your comments raised some interesting points for me to respond to. Other than that, you can blame the tone on the fact that both my son and I have bad colds, and I was up most of the night comforting him.
Doh! 