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I’ve found that book folding conjures up a lot of curiosity and a lot of questions. Here’s a list of the questions I probably get the most often. Maybe yours is in the mix!
HOW DID YOU GET STARTED FOLDING BOOKS?
I was sitting on the couch one day and just started folding the pages of a book I didn’t want. Even just doing the same simple fold to each page was exciting, and from there I couldn’t stop. Every time I feel like I’ve sort of reached the end of what can be done, I realize there’s a whole new avenue to be explored. The possibilities really are endless.
HOW DID YOU LEARN HOW TO DO IT?
I didn’t have any vision in mind when I started folding books. The first ones I made were extremely simple. Through trial and error I gradually learned what worked and what didn’t. It was just so exciting to figure out new patterns and designs, so I kept going. At some point, I googled folded books and realized there are a few others out there doing it too, but I’ve stuck with my initial decision to not pay much attention, and just keep coming up with my own designs.
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN DOING THIS?
I think the first ones I did were about 5 or 6 years ago. Then I took a break, but got back into it in 2010 and have been folding pretty intensively since then.
WHERE DO YOU FIND BOOKS WITH SUCH NICE ENDPAPER?
I was spending a lot of time hunting for books (used book sales, library sales, garage sales, anywhere and everywhere really) with good endpaper. The problem is that many books with good endpaper are either so old that their pages are brittle or they’re just too cool to fold. Now, in addition to looking for books with nice endpaper, I also just look for sturdy books with good bindings and put in my own endpaper. It’s definitely extra work to find nice paper, carefully measure it, glue it in, press overnight, etc. but the end result is worth it. Most people don’t seem to mind, but just in case, in the description of the books for sale, I always note if a book’s endpaper is original or added.
DOES THE CONTENT OF THE BOOK DICTATE HOW YOU FOLD IT?
There have been a few books that I’ve folded based on what the book was about– there was a kids book about rockets that I folded to look like a rocket for example– but for the most part not really. There are other things I take into account instead: the thickness of the book, weight of the pages, type of paper, texture, size of margins, whether or not there are pictures, etc. Not every book can work with every folding design, so taking all these things into account narrows down what I can do with a book. I also look at the endpaper. If it’s a really geometric pattern for example, I might choose to do more of an organic, curved fold.
DO YOU HAVE A BOOK ALL PLANNED OUT BEFORE YOU BEGIN, OR DO YOU JUST START FOLDING AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS?
In the beginning it was basically all experimentation, with plenty of mistakes. But I keep building on what I’ve learned and for the most part now, I do all the page-counting, planning, and have a book’s design pretty much set in my mind before I actually start folding it. There are still surprises though, and some unexpected results.
DO LIBRARIANS HATE YOU?
I occasionally sell my books at art fairs, and almost invariably, it is the librarians, used book sellers, and rare book dealers I encounter who are the most excited about what I’m doing. It makes sense though; they’re the people who see first hand the amount of books that are going unused, unread, and are eventually sent to pulping mills– literally millions per year.
Few objects could seem more familiar than books. We have all touched, read, used, and interacted with them innumerable times. By folding the pages of a book, however, it changes into something new, perhaps something unexpected. For me, this is the inspiration and the excitement--starting with basically the same object each time and challenging myself to manipulate it into something new. As with origami, the paper is not cut or glued; every design is fashioned by folding alone. While cutting the paper would increase the range of design possibilities for a book, I’ve continued this self-imposed limitation as a way to push myself to think in new ways. Additionally, I like the fact that, were one to unfold the pages, the book would still be readable, and essentially unchanged.
I look for books to fold everywhere I go--library sales, garage sales, second hand stores, estate sales and used bookstores. I am careful not to use anything antique or valuable. They are generally books that have become outdated and have fallen out of use. There is a glut of old, unwanted books; quite literally millions of them are pulped each year. The rest are doomed to a life sitting on a dusty bottom shelf or in a box. By folding a book, I like to hope that I’m giving it a new life, and another chance to be appreciated.