Hugging Circles

Erik Demaine, Martin Demaine, Hugging Circles, 2011, Zanders Elefantenhaut paper (elephant hide paper), 111110 in. (27.927.925.4 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the artists in honor of the fortieth anniversary of the Renwick Gallery, 2011.54.2, © 2011, Erik and Martin Demaine

Artwork Details

Title
Hugging Circles
Date
2011
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
111110 in. (27.927.925.4 cm)
Copyright
© 2011, Erik and Martin Demaine
Credit Line
Gift of the artists in honor of the fortieth anniversary of the Renwick Gallery
Mediums Description
Zanders Elefantenhaut paper (elephant hide paper)
Classifications
Object Number
2011.54.2

Artwork Description

A professor of computer science at MIT, Erik Demaine is a seminal player in the field of computational origami, which examines the Japanese tradition of hand-folded paper and its applications in geometry, industry, medicine, and other settings. Since he was a child, he has worked closely with his father, the artist and mathematician Martin Demaine, to create puzzles, games, and, most recently, groundbreaking origami pieces that lie at the intersection of art and mathematics. The duo uses many different types of paper in their works, such as currency and this elephant hide paper, often adding layers of meaning to their complex sculptures.

Connections: Contemporary Craft at the Renwick Gallery, 2019

Works by this artist (316 items)

Howard Cook, Hill Town, 1931, etching on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Barbara Latham Cook, 1986.10.3
Hill Town
Date1931
etching on paper
Not on view
Howard Cook, Seabird, 1926, woodcut on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Barbara Latham, 1980.122.125
Seabird
Date1926
woodcut on paper
Not on view
Howard Cook, Walpi, 1927, woodcut on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Barbara Latham, 1980.122.64
Walpi
Date1927
woodcut on paper
Not on view

Videos

Video Player is loading.
Current Time 0:00
Duration 0:00
Loaded: 0.00%
Stream Type LIVE
Remaining Time 0:00
 
1x
    • Chapters
    • descriptions off, selected
    • captions off, selected

      In anticipation of the exhibition 40 under 40: Craft Futures, on view at the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum from July 20, 2012 – February 3, 2013, the museum asked the 40 artists featured to share personal videos of themselves with our audience. Here's what Erik Demaine submitted—enjoy! Erik Demaine Social Media Video, 2012 Digital video, color, sound, 1:05 Courtesy of the artist

      Related Books

      4040_500.jpg
      40 Under 40: Craft Futures
      40 Under 40: Craft Futures examines the expanding role of the handmade in contemporary culture through the work of the next generation of artists. Organized in celebration of the fortieth anniversary of the Renwick Gallery, the Smithsonian's branch museum for American craft and decorative arts, this project gathers forty makers born since 1972, the year the Renwick opened to the public. Apparent are rapidly evolving notions of craft, ranging from traditional media, such as ceramics and jewelry, to fields as varied as sculpture, industrial design, performance and installation art, fashion design, sustainable manufacturing, and mathematics.

      Exhibitions

      Media - 2016.11 - SAAM-2016.11_6 - 124929
      Connections: Contemporary Craft at the Renwick Gallery
      November 13, 2015March 6, 2022
      Connections is the Renwick Gallery’s dynamic ongoing permanent collection presentation, featuring more than 80 objects celebrating craft as a discipline and an approach to living differently in the modern world.

      More Artworks from the Collection

      Claire Falkenstein, City is Man, 1941-1952, linocut, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of The Falkenstein Foundation, 2019.27.14, ©1997, The Falkenstein Foundation
      City is Man
      Date1941-1952
      linocut
      Not on view
      Claire Falkenstein, Untitled, 1976, embossed paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of The Falkenstein Foundation, 2019.27.18, ©1997, The Falkenstein Foundation
      Untitled
      Date1976
      embossed paper
      Not on view
      Claire Falkenstein, Mandala, 1977, lithograph, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of The Falkenstein Foundation, 2019.27.19, ©1997, The Falkenstein Foundation
      Mandala
      Date1977
      lithograph
      Not on view
      Nathan Oliveira, Site with Blue and White, 1978, monotype, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Moses Lasky, 2004.32.14
      Site with Blue and White
      Date1978
      monotype
      Not on view