Look, I didn't want this to turn into a "bash Pepakura" thread, so now that the painkillers are gone and I'm relatively lucid, let me try an explain this a bit better. Speaking for the old-school guys, we see Pepakura as a double edged sword.
On the one side you have the fact that Pepakura has allowed thousands of people to get involved in art by supplying an endless list of kits for them to assemble. Instead of just being passive consumers you are building, finishing, painting, and showing off something you made with your own hands. That is nothing but awesome and I applaud every single person that takes part. All art is cool no matter how you come to it, be it by kit or by clay.
On the other side you have the fact that Pepakura is indicative of a ready-made "copy-and-paste" culture that is watering down that very same art. Instead of being a doorway to a larger art world, the easy nature of Pepakura seems to inhibit the user's desire to learn more and to stretch themselves. i.e. I just had an argument with a guy that apparently couldn't believe that I could have done this without Pepakura and that I was refusing to share a file that does not exist. In other words, the greatest benefit of Pep, that you can create very complex pieces easily, is also it's greatest detriment because it gives the builder a false sense of accomplishment and leaves them with a much shallower understanding of the art behind it.
Another way to put all this is to simply say that I give Pepakura ****, not because I want to feel superior to you, but because I want you to grow as artists and push yourselves past your comfort zone. I want you to see Pep as just the first step into a larger world, not the end of the staircase. Wow me with your creations. Impress me with your knowledge. I want the younger generations to be better than me, not copying what someone else did, printing it out and calling it an accomplishment.
On the one side you have the fact that Pepakura has allowed thousands of people to get involved in art by supplying an endless list of kits for them to assemble. Instead of just being passive consumers you are building, finishing, painting, and showing off something you made with your own hands. That is nothing but awesome and I applaud every single person that takes part. All art is cool no matter how you come to it, be it by kit or by clay.
On the other side you have the fact that Pepakura is indicative of a ready-made "copy-and-paste" culture that is watering down that very same art. Instead of being a doorway to a larger art world, the easy nature of Pepakura seems to inhibit the user's desire to learn more and to stretch themselves. i.e. I just had an argument with a guy that apparently couldn't believe that I could have done this without Pepakura and that I was refusing to share a file that does not exist. In other words, the greatest benefit of Pep, that you can create very complex pieces easily, is also it's greatest detriment because it gives the builder a false sense of accomplishment and leaves them with a much shallower understanding of the art behind it.
Another way to put all this is to simply say that I give Pepakura ****, not because I want to feel superior to you, but because I want you to grow as artists and push yourselves past your comfort zone. I want you to see Pep as just the first step into a larger world, not the end of the staircase. Wow me with your creations. Impress me with your knowledge. I want the younger generations to be better than me, not copying what someone else did, printing it out and calling it an accomplishment.
