In Hito Steyerl's journal artical "In Defense of the Poor Image", she defends the meanings and effects behind low-resolution videos or films, which she refers to as "poor images". Steyerl argues that poor images can enhance the metaphorical meaning behind an image, for example, keeping a character out of focus in a shot to emphasize the struggles in that character's life. She then discusses how poor images became suppressed in the film and video industries: their circulation in the industries became too expensive, and therefore they ceased being shown in theatres or on television for the public to watch. However, with the development of the internet, poor images have started to "resurrect" from their suppression. The circulation of poor images, Steyerl argues, connects people internationally with experimental or avant-garde video creations. She finally explains how poor images resemble the afterlife, or the ghost, or cinematic masterpieces, and that they are truly significant due to their unprecedented digital circulation.
