Imbued with Human Warmth

by Brenda Roger

Prized for its delicacy and imbued with human warmth, Washi paper is a much-admired expression of craftsmanship. When conceptualizing _________, __________ designers drew inspiration from Washi’s visual texture as well as the traditional humanistic values associated with papermaking, employing them to create a stylish, modern standard of design. …the tradition of Washi embraces apparent contradictions by seeking balance in the finished work. Thus, the artist’s hand is still felt in the warm, organic sensation evoked by the elegant construction, while its sleek, metallic sheen echoes the influence of clean, modern style. A beautiful, unified whole is expressed by bridging the old and the new.

I read this bit of “literature” recently and nearly fell off my chair. Regular Working Stiffs readers will figure that since I’m the art tart of the group that this passage probably came from the catalog of an exhibition. You are expecting me to tell you now about a Japanese print show, or a sculpture exhibition. Indeed, this is precisely the type of language found between the pages of an exhibition catalog, but alas, this passage is from a brochure.

Yes! A brochure! Well, then, it must be for a gallery selling prints and sculpture. Guess again. What do you think goes in the blanks?

I will tell you that the brochure is promoting a very common item. We all have one. Some of us have more that one. Some of us have had many over the course of our lifetime.

Who writes this stuff? An art historian is not likely to write a brochure for a consumer product, although, art history might be the worst paying career on the planet, and I couldn’t blame them for taking the paycheck.

I’ve decided to call the author of the brochure “Jake.” I can’t decide if Jake finishes a page and thinks, “I am the next literary genius of Western civilization,” or if he rolls with laughter on the floor of his cubicle slapping the floor, yelling “yuppie suckers!”

So, what goes in the blanks, and is Jake a genius, or a jerk? I will fill in the blanks before the end of the day, but please do some guessing!