Art History and the Criticism of Computer-Generated Images
(1994)
Download the essay.
This was published (with color illustrations) in Leonardo 27 no. 4 (1994): 335–42 and color plate.
This unillustrated version is of limited use; ideally, it should be read with the illustrations. It is also dated: computer graphics has come a long way since 1994. However the basic argument remains pertinent: art history can contribute to the understanding of computer graphics, because the software that makes computer graphics possible is influenced by the history of art. Palettes, blurring routines, perspective choices, sharpness settings, and many other components of image software come from the history of art, either explicitly (as in “mosaic filters”) or at several removes (as in the perspectival decisions made in video game design). Even now, art historians are only just beginning to take the history of computer graphics on board as an integral part of the discipline.
A book called The History of Photoshop is urgently needed. The book would detail the ways that the routines in programs like Photoshop are inspired, often indirectly and without the programmer’s intention, from episodes in the history of art. The History of Photoshop would demonstrate that Photoshop is not a black box, but is integrally related to the deeper history of art. If such a book were written, and if it were read by graphic designers, it could go a long way to integrating art history and theory with graphic design. If you are familiar with image processing routines in Photoshop, you know the relevant code, and you might be interested in working on such a book, please contact me.