At The Design Observer, Momus has a nice posting about how the Web (along with digital media in general) is taking on the role of top medium, with the accompanying presumption that all other media are less transparent, less direct. The good news, for those who have an interest in the beauty of artifice is that taking this role away from paper frees paper to loaf and invite its soul.

The consolation prize for not being the Universal is getting to be the Particular. The consolation prize for not having power is having flavour. The consolation prize for not being transparent is being opaque. Just as photography freed painting to do what it did best—be paint on canvas rather than a “window on the world”—so computers are freeing paper to be white stuff with marks on it. Paper is getting to “spend more time with its family”.

This also, the article explains, leads to the new medium absorbing and playing the role of the old.

Bringing us to a story today at We Make Money Not Art: On display at Aichi is a huge electronic newspaper.

“Yomiuri Global Newspaper – Electronic Paper” a wall-sized (2.2 meters high and 2.6 meter wide) newspaper utilizing E Ink Electronic Paper technology exhibited by Toppan Printing at EXPO 2005, Aichi.

LCD video monitor for pictures, combined with 272 Electronic Paper tiles makes one big paper. Not very convenient for personal use, I’m guessing.