The machine holds the paper at the correct angle and with the correct support to fold in a certain direction when hit by a blast from an explosive charge that's precisely positioned to fold the paper around the machine supplied fulcrum without destroying the paper, say 10 yards away depending on the size of the charge. It goes without saying that larger charges are preferred because bigger explosions are better.

So the first blast creates the first fold, the machine re- positions for the second fold, next charge goes off repeating the process until the piece is finished.

When you're done, you have a delicate paper swan that smells like dynamite.
-- doctorremulac3, Jul 21 2019

Norton Flavel https://www.google....d4aa0067194fb05.amp
... is an artist who already uses blast-formed sheet metal in his sculpture. I don't know whether he's tried a swan yet. [pertinax, Jul 24 2019]

YouTube: LaserOrigami https://www.youtube..._query=laserorigami
What // re-loadable, very slow , laser scored, paper sculpture that gently folds under it's own weight about a calculated focus // reminded me of: a technique for making 3D objects out of sheet plastic with a laser cutter, heating the plastic with the laser out of focus so it folds under its own weight [notexactly, Jul 28 2019]

Strength of paper limits size of explosive charge. Suggest using thick steel plate instead of paper.
-- pocmloc, Jul 21 2019


<Sniggering/>

[+]
-- 8th of 7, Jul 21 2019


For more advanced methods, multiple explosions for multiplexed folds (where you normally need 3 hands to fold several pre-arranged folds at once...).
-- neutrinos_shadow, Jul 21 2019


I think this only becomes really impressive when you use nuclear warheads and tectonic plates.
-- MaxwellBuchanan, Jul 21 2019


//[+] But I'd imagined the scale a little larger - something 100's of metres big with jato rockets moving the folding arm. Thus leaving the landscape covered in 100m swans and rhinos.//

I'm down with that.

//I think this only becomes really impressive when you use nuclear warheads and tectonic plates.//

Nuclear weapon art. It might be like Van Gogh, under appreciated by critics at the time but accepted as genius by later generations.
-- doctorremulac3, Jul 22 2019


... of giant mutated cockroaches, the only creatures that survive the fallout.
-- 8th of 7, Jul 22 2019


Could go the other way, and have a re-loadable, very slow , laser scored, paper sculpture that gently folds under it's own weight about a calculated focus held by a marionette rod.
-- wjt, Jul 23 2019


Kinda baked - see link.

His approach is basically to set off depth charges in a water tank.
-- pertinax, Jul 24 2019


This could be televised on cable at least. It could be paper view.
-- AusCan531, Jul 30 2019



random, halfbakery