Because of the Pixels
On the History, Form, and Influence of MS Paint
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21158014 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Patrick Davison (corresponding author) |
| Year | 2014 |
| Volume | 13 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 275-297 |
| Publication date | 2014-12-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Visual Culture (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1470-4129 • E-ISSN: 1741-2994 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/1470412914544539 |
| OpenAlex | W2313035804 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 4 |
| References cited | 19 |
This article focuses on the history, formal properties, and cultural role played by MS Paint, a widely available graphics program that has been used to make countless internet memes. The author examines the technical limitations of the program, and the visible consequences produced by a mouse-driven bitmap-based graphics program. He uses MS Paint as a context to discuss two new pieces of graphics software – Fresh Paint and Rage Maker – each of which embody radically different orientations to the concept of remediation. These three approaches to understanding MS Paint help us to reconsider the culturally suppressed media that have nonetheless had significant effects on the visual culture of the contemporary participatory internet
Aesthetics · Archaeology · Art · Citizen journalism · Graphics · Sociology · The Internet · Visual arts · World Wide Web · Computer Science · Digital Games and Media · Digital Media and Philosophy · History · Technology's Impact on Media
| Citations per year | 0.4 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2016 - 2024 (9) |
| Highly cited | No |