Origami in the Garden is a Feast for the Senses

Art is everywhere in Santa Fe. With more than 250 galleries and a dozen museums, visitors can get a hearty dose of the vast amount of creativity on display in this city.Just ten minutes by foot from the historic Plaza is Canyon Road, the heart of the town’s gallery scene. Here you’ll find the greatest density of galleries in the country, nearly 100, many of which are housed in adobe-style buildings that date back to the mid-1700s. They feature everything from Southwestern landscapes to Pueblo pottery, and even European Impressionists. Though you can pop into as many of these spaces as you desire, simply strolling the half-mile stretch will give you plenty of eye candy. Outdoor sculptures and art installations line the street, creating a colorful and vibrant scene.There are many standouts that attract attention. Among them is artist Kevin Box’s pieces at Kay Contemporary Art. It’s hard to miss his giant “Rock, Paper, Scissors,” that’s on display at the entrance to the gallery. It’ll tempt you to step inside to see more of the artist’s unique creations. These range from small works to larger forms, the latter which can be found in the enchanting outdoor sculpture garden in the rear of the building.Box works with mostly bronze and stainless steel cast forms derived from folded paper creations, or origami. Origami is an ancient Asian art, which translates to mean “paper folding.” He begins every piece with a blank page. “I see a piece of paper as a clean slate, white as light, perfect and full of potential,” says Box.

The piece then goes through a 35-step, 12+ week process of lost wax casting with the assistance of fine art foundry and fabrication teams. Forged by hand, the sculpture is completed with finishes that “return to the look of paper,” thus immortalizing the creation in perpetuity.

Collaboration is tantamount to the artist’s process. “Like a musician, I have found that collaboration magnifies my initial ideas into realized masterworks of paper folding,” he explains. For a decade, Box has collaborated with origami masters including Dr. Robert J. Lang, Michael G. LaFosse and Beth Johnson.“Origami animals, blooming flowers, crumpled ideas and innovative abstraction are all themes that inform the surface of my work,” says Box. Each piece that he creates has a title, a reason and a purpose that is part of a story he wishes to tell. He explains that this content is motivated by several concepts and philosophies surrounding such elements as truth, chaos and consciousness, creation and evolution, the process of creativity and interpersonal relationships.

Box is originally from Oklahoma, but spent time in Georgia, NYC and Texas, studying graphic design, printmaking and Fine Art. His passion for paper transitioned into sculpture, but capturing paper’s qualities in sculptural form presented a challenge.For several years, he apprenticed at a foundry in Austin to become proficient in metal casting, eventually becoming an art foundry production manager. It was in Texas that Box developed his own voice. “It took two years of tireless experimentation for me to develop the process of casting paper into bronze, another seven years to perfect, and it continues to evolve today,” notes Box.Over the years, the artist has received recognition from other artists and collectors alike. He currently is represented in nine galleries and three museums, and is in more than twenty public art collections, as well as hundreds of private art collections worldwide.

If you crave more of the artist’s work after visiting Kay Contemporary, head to Origami in the Garden. Open May-October, this sculpture garden and home of Box Studio is located an easy thirty minute drive south of Santa Fe. The garden is free to the public, though a donation is always appreciated.

Photo courtesy of Box Studio

Box and his wife Jennifer live on site. Jennifer, a former NYC dancer and choreographer, works with her husband and has co-created the exhibition, as well as many of the artworks within it. She holds the title of Executor Director and manages the administration of the studio that has become a major corporation. This includes the planning and organization of the numerous exhibits of Box’s work that have traveled across the country to various botanical gardens.The idea to bring the sculptures to gardens stemmed from the couple’s desire to reach a broader audience through public art. People aren’t intimidated by gardens. Maybe they might not choose to go into a gallery or museum, but a garden is very approachable. And the artwork seamlessly fits into these settings “since paper originates in plant life and origami is made of paper.” Also, gardens are like origami in that they begin with tiny seeds and flourish into stunning displays of flowers and greenery.Once you enter the gates of Origami in the Garden, you’ll discover numerous, jaw-dropping, larger-than-life sculptures placed alongside a pathway that takes you through a high desert, 12-acre landscape. There’s everything from painted ponies galloping across the field, a winged horse taking flight, colorful bouquets of flowers and flowers in all stages of development from bud to full bloom, cute bunnies, and more. An explanation about each piece is provided, informing you of its message and materials.For example, in “Caravan” there are three creatures. There’s a tortoise, slow, yet perseverant, who is carrying a rabbit on his back and a crane atop a branch. From the branch, which the rabbit holds, dangles a carrot to encourage the tortoise to keep going. The rabbit could get to its destination quicker than the tortoise, as could the crane, but they’re working selflessly together to reach their destination.“Paper Navigators” depicts several boats, like those you made out of paper as a kid and then floated in the water. The artist informs viewers that the idea for these pieces stemmed from the Polynesian explorers, who had to endure challenging voyages due to the mercurial seas and weather. They used “wayfinding,” a type of navigation that depends on one’s senses to keep track of the stars, the waves, the habits of creatures and weather patterns. The paper boats remind him of these explorers – their courage and sense of adventure.In “Seed and Seed Sower,” a squirrel sits atop a post and nearby is an acorn on the ground. We are told that the oak tree provides food and shelter for squirrels, who in turn bury the acorns to feast on later. But they leave some as seeds to grow into new trees.

With “Carried Away,” you might initially not understand why a woman’s dress form has a place in this garden of all things nature. But, after reading the information inscription, it becomes clear. This white dress has cut-outs of butterflies that have been released from the dress to help lift the woman up and carry her away “in loveliness, possibility, and lightness of spirit.” Go behind the piece and see the inside of the dress, which has been left in its golden bronze state, allowing us to glimpse her inner beauty.It's hard to miss “Hero’s Horse,” a ginormous winged Pegasus. This mythological creature was sent by the gods to help the hero in his efforts to save the world. Afterwards, Pegasus goes back to the night sky, transformed into a constellation of stars.Make sure you stop in the main office building to see a miniature version of “Hero’s Horse,” along with the single piece of paper (in metal form) used in the origami process. It’s amazing to note all the creases and folds needed to create this horse. Nearby are other such examples, along with small, origami-inspired sculptures for sale, books on origami, and an array of souvenir items.Outside the office on the brick wall is “Flying Peace,” and the corresponding origami form splayed out to show the folds involved in this creation. In this composition, renowned origami artist Robert J. Lang made an incredibly intricate origami crane from a single, uncut paper square. And no, there were no scissors or glue used. Lang spent years developing his skill and talent to produce such a complicated design. And just like Lang, Box took years of practice to develop the techniques to transform a paper model into metal.

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