Express & Star

50 years in the fold for origami master Mick

He helped spread the origami craze across the country - and has even appeared in one of the most famous films of all time.

Published

And now Mick Guy, of Bearwood, is celebrating 50 years of creating intricate figures simply by folding pieces of paper.

He set up the British Origami Society aged 20 after being inspired by magician Robert Harbin.

And his hand can be seen in science fiction classic Blade Runner holding the shape of a chicken he folded out of paper.

When he started out, no-one had even heard of origami and there were no clubs in England for the pastime.

But Mick, aged 68, has encouraged thousands of people over the years to develop their skills.

A beautiful butterfly

He spends hours each week coming up with new designs and looking for inspiration.

His creations can range from a butterfly which takes less than 50 seconds, to a series of hexagons and stars that he will spend days slaving over.

The grandfather of five says good origami can look 'like magic' and he gets the most pleasure from seeing children's faces transfixed as he produces the shapes.

In 1982, he found himself folding a two-inch chicken with legendary director Ridley Scott pointing a camera at him.

The makers of Blade Runner had contacted the origami society looking for someone to do the job - and after an interview Mick was chosen.

He said: "It is probably the most pressure I have ever been under in my life. The footage of me actually doing the folding ended up on the cutting room floor and was never used, but the actual chicken is there and you can see my hand. It's a claim to fame."

Mick started taking origami seriously when he bought a book by magician Robert Harbin, who had a TV show in the 1960s. He spent four weeks' pocket money on it and followed every instruction in there.

A beautiful butterfly

At the back of the book were details of enthusiasts in America, so Mick contacted them and within weeks has begun to form the British Origami Society.

It has now been going for 48 years and still meets every month in Bourneville, Birmingham.

Mick was secretary for 17 years and is currently vice president. And he says he is proud that he has helped etch origami into the public consciousness.

The retired mechanical engineer, of Abbey Road, said: "Back then, if I stopped someone in the street and asked them what origami was, they wouldn't have had a clue, but now most people have at least heard of it.

"There is always something new to create and new designs to come up with. You would think that you would run out but you never will.

"My joy is making things as simple as possible and if I can entertain people, say by making a model that has an action, then that's the best. I love origami that is simple but effective."

He is proudest of a piece that he calls 'You're a Star', which is a series of multi-coloured stars and leaves many baffled as to how he managed to put it together without cutting out any shapes.

He said: "I started to put it together and realised there was star coming out, and it developed from there. That one took a lot of effort but it has really given me pleasure."

Though he is also kept busy as a member of the community trust running Warley Woods just yards from his homes, he says origami will always be a major part of his life.

And he would encourage anyone interested in origami to give it a try - though he admits you need a certain amount of skill to start with.

"You need to have dexterity, because there are some people that can't fold a piece of paper in a straight line, so they would struggle," he said.

"I couldn't draw an elephant but I can make one out paper. Something like a butterfly is a simple model that can be done in seconds and it's a bit like magic that you can start with something so basic and end up with such a range of models."

Sorry, we are not accepting comments on this article.