A tree gives life to paper and the latter gives
life to ideas. A clean sheet of paper is like tabula rasa, the blank
slate that is ready for any creative possibility. At the same time, the nature
of paper is like a human being. It has different characteristics, textures,
colours, smells, temperament, weight, and it ages. Choosing the right
paper for a project by observing and knowing paper’s different natures can make
the difference between a good and an exquisite job.
Yet, paper is not limited to print as it pushes
the boundary across different disciplines: art, architecture, product and
fashion. Paper may seem fragile yet it can be strong at the same time.
Inspiring examples have been demonstrated by Shigeru Ban, a Japanese architect
known for innovative heavy-duty paperwork, who has quickly and efficiently
housed disaster victims with recycled cardboard tubes. In 1995, Ban built a
temporary church after the Kobe Earthquake, which is still in use.
Despite our reliance on the digital medium,
paper is still very much alive; it engages our senses in a
way that the digital medium never could. The paper master, Li Hongbo,
emphasizes that fact with his sensuous paper sculptures in motion. Today,
we are finding ourselves being more appreciative of paper as a beautiful and
versatile material for us to explore our creativity. With the emergence of even
a wider range of materials, paper is here to stay.
The visionary starts with a clean sheet of
paper and reimagines the world. – Malcolm Gladwell
Paper’s age
The stains, smell and fragility that reveal themselves as paper ages give it a nostalgic character.
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A poster that was aged by the tropical sun and
torrential rain.
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Less is more
When plain paper is crafted in a simple way,
stacked and juxtapositioned in a play of light and shadow, the results can
surprisingly look like art.
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Paper's experience
Paper, like a person, acquires interesting characteristics after undergoing extreme experiences. After being neglected under the sun and rain, angrily crumpled or carelessly burnt and stomped upon; new textures and marks give it a look like no other. These are akin to scars that tell a story.
Paper’s age
The stains, smell and fragility that reveal themselves as paper ages give it a nostalgic character.
