Gonzalez, Leah. “Traditional Japanese Art Created Using Excel Spreadsheets.” psfk.com. PSFK Labs, 22 May 2013. Web. 14 May 2014. http://www.psfk.com/2013/05/japanese-prints-excel.html?utm_content=bufferdf80f&utm_source=buffer&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Buffer#!NrUAh>
This article highlights Tatsuo Horiuchi’s artwork and shows the potential aesthetic capabilities of a seemingly “unartistic” digital platform (Microsoft Excel). Horiuchi uses Excel spreadsheets to create traditional Japanese landscapes, citing that “graphic software is expensive.” I think this article is interesting because it combines both the digital aspect of creating art through an electronic medium with an economic/environmental awareness. Horiuchi’s reasoning behind using Excel was because typical graphic software is too expensive. Although he does use paper materials to display his artwork, the bulk of his art is presumably saved online in an electronic format which speaks to the Greening through IT aspect of using electronics as a gateway for a less wasteful environment.
The relationship between traditional Japanese landscapes, which usually evokes a sense of peace and tranquility, and the digital medium that’s being used to create Horiuchi’s art is intriguing. When you think of art or an aesthetic experience, spreadsheets would probably be the last medium you’d consider to use to create art. Horiuchi’s creations remind me of some kind of digital mosaic. While thinking about how Horiuchi creates each landscape, it made me wonder how long it would take to complete a full image, and how much energy was being used by being on Excel for a long period of time. At first I thought his artwork wasn’t wasteful at all because it’s mostly on a digital platform, but I’d like to know more about the energy consumption and expenditure that is behind each of his portraits.
