People make art in the most unusual ways. Though brush and paint would suffice, 77-year-old Tatsuo Horiuchi uses Microsoft Excel (!) to paint intricate pieces. In the late 1800s, after the introduction of the Sholes & Glidden “type writer,” typists wrought art from their machines, creating some of the most unusual specimens. Interestingly, this stirred considerable controversy among stenographers and typewriters, as witnessed in this debate in 1893:
The Reporters’ Journal (August, 1893), of London, Eng., says: “The Phonetic Journal very properly calls attention to the foolishness of attempting to make sketches by means of typewriters, and strongly deprecates the practice. Some of our American contemporaries indulge largely in facsimiles of this class of work, and this has not doubt tended to foster the absurd custom. …”
To this, The Illustrated Phonographic World replied:
The Illustrated Phonographic World does not agree with the Reporters’ Journal. On the contrary, we believe that the presentation of specimens of all kinds, showing the possibilities of accomplishment both of the various machines and of the operators, is highly beneficial and instructive. We believe that any endeavor which will cultivate painstaking and accuracy on the part of operators should be encouraged. The endeavor to excel…
Well, you can read the entire article below:
From the Illustrated Phonographic World, September 1893.
Featured artwork from that issue:
About the artist:
About this artist and a reply regarding the typewriter art controversy:
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