The simple codex that you will make consists of six page panels, each with a wire built into the spine edge.

The wire in each page panel is trapped against a core board by paper wrapped around the spine edge. The wire is exposed at various points along the spine where thread attaches to it, and binds one panel to the next. The page panels are “sewn” to one another by making square knots.

Detail showing the integration of core board, wrapping paper, wire, and thread.

The wire edge structure allows the stiff page panels of this book to open perfectly flat—great for use and display.

Detail view of a knotting station.

The second model you make in the workshop—an accordion book—forms a tetrahedron. The tetrahedron is the simplest free standing sculptural form. The student who made this model used her own decorative paste paper. You are welcome to bring a special paper to the workshop in order to customize your model.

The tetrahedron is comprised of four panels, each an equilateral triangle. You will learn how to make page panels with multiple hinge edges. Note that the wire here is lighter gauge than what you will use for the codex model. Wire edge structures can be adapted for various page weights.

Just to give you an idea of the possibilities achievable with wire edge…Investigations—The Four Elements: Earth is a collaborative work by Kelm and Timothy C. Ely who have created a number of sculptural books exploring the elements and the Platonic solids. Daniel has created many variations of wire edge binding. Here the page panels have no permanent hinging. Tubes are imbedded in the page edges, and wires are inserted to connect page panels one to another.

What I’m trying to do is assemble symbols in such a way that a shift occurs in the viewer. Language doesn’t have to be verbal or visual. It can be a sensation. It can be in the form of signals. My marks depart from meaning but they’re not meaningless. They just have a different internal matrix.
—Timothy C. Ely

The page panels can be assembled into a cube and an octahedron, or all combined into a cubo-octahedron.