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# The Ever-Cool 8-Bit Aesthetic
- URL: https://hyperallergic.com/the-evolution-of-8-bit-art/
- Published: 2012-06-23T02:00:28.000Z
- Updated: 2025-11-24T16:48:53.000Z
- Description: The Evolution of 8-Bit Art, is the latest of the PBS series, Off Book, exploring the technological and cultural heritage of the thriving aesthetic.
- Author: Ben Valentine
- Tags: Opinion, #wp, #wp-post, #image-position-hidden, #Import 2025-11-24 06:51 (2012, 2013, part 1)

[The Evolution of 8-Bit Art](http://www.youtube.com/user/PBSoffbook?feature=watch&ref=hyperallergic.com) is the newest video from the PBS YouTube series, [*Off Book*](http://www.youtube.com/user/PBSoffbook?feature=watch&ref=hyperallergic.com), which is a web-original series exploring innovative art that comes out every other Wednesday. [8-bit](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/8-bit?ref=hyperallergic.com) comes from a specific era and type of technology from the late 1970s to early 1990s which, because of the newness of digital technology at the time, the aesthetic qualities both in sound and visuals were very limited.

Although the technology has become obsolete, 8-bit culture endures. [Doctor Octoroc](http://www.doctoroctoroc.com/?ref=hyperallergic.com) in the YouTube video says, “it is a very unique style born from limitation, and it has stood the test of time.” Increasingly, artists find the limitations of 8-bit tools, the cultural memory around video games and computing of that time, and the DIY culture that accompanied it a fertile ground for artistic creation.

![Invader in London, image from Wikipedia.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2012/06/wiki_invader.jpg)

Invader in London (image from Wikipedia)

8-bit has come to have many different meanings for different people; [Minus Baby](http://minusbaby.com/?ref=hyperallergic.com), a musician featured in “The Evolution of 8-bit Art” said, “I was really excited to make music with gear that sounded like my childhood.” Whereas the band members of [Anamanaguchi](http://anamanaguchi.com/?ref=hyperallergic.com) are too young to remember most of the technology responsible for their sound quality. Similarily, I think of artwork by [Cory Arcangel](http://www.coryarcangel.com/?ref=hyperallergic.com) or [Invader](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invader%5F%28artist%29?ref=hyperallergic.com) before old Gameboys.

If you have not watched any of the videos in the *Off Book* series, I recommend starting with [Culture of Reddit](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXGs%5F7Yted8&list=PLC3D565688483CCB5&index=2&feature=plcp&ref=hyperallergic.com) and [Animated GIFs: The Birth of a Medium](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuxKb5mxM8g&list=PLC3D565688483CCB5&index=9&feature=plcp&ref=hyperallergic.com).