Directory:Tangle Creations
Tangle Creations is the new name for the organization formerly known as Tangle Toys, It's "that fun twisty thing™". Tangle Creations is a multi-faceted content, product development, and distribution company for Tangle-related products and concepts, with products in toys, electronics, therapy, pet, inflatable, educational, premium, furniture, promotional, and sports. Tangle has been marketed through partnerships with major brands like: Nickelodeon, Coca Cola, Kelloggs™, and McDonalds™ and has been sold through major retailers with over 100 million products sold. Tangle Inc. is headquartered in South San Francisco and has been in business for over 27 years.
The Tangle Creations website is found at TangleCreations.com.
The Tangle Story
The story of Tangle is based on the journey Richard X. Zawitz and his quest to unify his myriad life experiences into the creation of a four dimensional energy form.
Zawitz’s journey began with his studies in Asian philosophy and art in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with scholar, teacher, and mentor, Chan Wing Tsit. From Chan he learned about Chinese philosophy and was convinced to further his studies at the University of Hawaii.
While in Hawaii, Zawitz studied with Prithwish Neogy, a renowned scholar of Asian art and aesthetics. Neogy’s mentoring, along with the influence of philosopher Jacques Maritain, Sigfried Giedion, calligrapher Morita Shiryu, and the story of Enku the Buddhist monk, drove Zawitz to develop his own philosophical pluralism.
When graduating from the University of Hawaii, Zawitz used all of the knowledge acquired from his great mentors to complete a stone carving called First Twist. This piece of art can be seen as the beginnings of the twisty Tangle we have today.
Upon graduation, Zawitz’s curiosity and interest in a four dimensional energy form led him to the Far East and Kyoto, where he studied wood and stone carving in the ancient traditions. It was during his travels that he came across the Tibetan infinite knot, containing a pattern of interwoven lines with no beginning and no end that symbolizes infinite life and creation. It was this symbol that captivated and inspired him artistically and ultimately bore the creation of one of Richard’s major works: the Statue of Infinity. The statue is a magnificent, stainless steel sculpture, made of 20 sections of 8 inch diameter tubing that rise into a series of endless twisted turns and curves.
In seeing people’s reaction to his statue, Zawitz realized he needed to create a smaller version of his sculpture that people could actually hold and experience directly. He quickly recognized people’s enchantment and attraction to the twistable energy and magical sensation found in the turning, curvy motion of the Tangles.
Each Tangle has 18 sections that can be detached or added. Tangle also comes as a therapy device, made of rubber with small, bumpy nodes on it offering tactile sensation for kids who are highly responsive to texture.
