The Recycled Art Exhibition brings all types of artists out of the woodwork.  The line between art and recycling gets blurred and reveals some creative and innovative products.  The beauty of this type of exhibition is that it welcomes long-time artists as well as community members who don't consider themselves to be artists.  It fosters creativity in projects using recycled materials.  In fact, this open-minded exhibition often creates artists.  

One perfect example of this creativity is Susan Wilcox, who has participated in the Recycled Exhibition for many years.  Although she has submitted different projects throughout the years, her focus has been on origami.  This year, she has created a box full of intricate and delicate jewelry, made with different origami patterns.  She created a full chess set in origami, with each piece having been individually sculpted.


When I asked Susan how she got involved in making origami, she told me that "paper is infinite - there is so much of it in the world."  She began to collect pieces from magazines, flyers, labels, and anywhere that she could find interesting colors, patterns, or pictures.  Having spent some time in Japan during college, she became intrigued by the styles of art, and worked on folding techniques.  After moving to California, she visited Japanese folk art shops, where she saw different styles of origami.

By the 1960's, origami as an art form and as a craft had become popular worldwide, and trends began to form.  Susan tells me that popular trends today are modular origami and miniatures.  She is working on miniatures currently, where regular patterns shrink into smaller more intricate versions.  Instead of starting with a 4 x 4 inch square, she tries using a 1.5 x 1.5 inch square.  

When trying new patterns, Susan doesn't allow herself to become overly frustrated if she can't create one.  With patience and persistence, it sometimes comes easier.  In working with designs that require multiple sheets of paper, all folded and fitted together, the hardest part comes at the end when folds have to fit into one another to create the final product.  Sometimes just holding all the pieces together is very difficult, and if one piece doesn't fit into the layer, it will all fall apart.



Susan says making origami creations is mainly for entertainment.  She will often make gifts, cards, or fold graduation money into an animal shape.  However, she can't stop collecting paper pieces.  Her recent favorites include the images from the Target catalogue or tea bags, which smell nice.  She uses a multitude of books to inform her of new patterns or the latest trends.  She says, "I am not at the point of making my own patterns yet, there are still so many that I haven't mastered."  She also says that she only has a few designs completely memorized; although she has mastered plenty of patterns, she usually has to look in the book and refresh her memory before starting.

She loves teaching workshops, "especially [for] children, who are uninhibited and don't give up easily," the way that adults often do.  People who attend the workshops sometimes want to start with something complicated, so they can take it home with them, but will get frustrated when they don't get it right.  Susan explains that it is a learning process, and "you have to start out with simpler folds and get the basics."  By starting in steps and learning the important base folds, you "gain confidence and get the rewards."  Kids are more willing to take things step by step; reading the directions and grasping the importance of the process.  

I asked Susan what her motivation is in participating in the Recycled Art Exhibit.  "I love the sense of humor of the show," she answers.  She explains that while doing origami, she uses recycled paper anyway.  There is so much throw-away paper in the world.  Working at the Pioneer Museum, she used to collect old flyers and postcards that were always posted on the table or thrown into the recycling bin.  


Susan has been living in Flagstaff for 24 years and practicing other art forms like spinning animal hair.  She moved to Flagstaff after attending the University of California, Berkeley, and University of Arizona. 


Susan Wilcox can be reached by email.  The Recycled Art Exhibition closed this week, but returns to the Coconino Center for the Arts every April.