The basic point is this: if we have basis {u, v} then every vector can be written in the form au+ bv and represented as "[itex]\begin{bmatrix}a \\ b\end{bmatrix}[/itex]". In particular, u= 1u+ 0v and is represented as [itex]\begin{bmatrix}1 \\ 0\end{bmatrix}[/itex] while v= 0u+ 1v and is represented as [itex]\begin{bmatrix}0 \\ 1 \end{bmatrix}[/itex]. Now suppose linear transformation, A, is represented by the matrix
[tex]\begin{bmatrix}a & b \\ c & d\end{bmatrix}[/tex]
Then Au is
[tex]\begin{bmatrix}a & b \\ c & d\end{bmatrix}\begin{bmatrix}1 \\ 0 \end{bmatrix}= \begin{bmatrix}a \\ c \end{bmatrix}[/tex]
and Av is
[tex]\begin{bmatrix}a & b \\ c & d\end{bmatrix}\begin{bmatrix}0 \\ 1 \end{bmatrix}= \begin{bmatrix}b \\ d\end{bmatrix}[/tex]
That is, applying the linear transformation to the basis vectors, and then writing the result as a linear combination of the basis vectors, the coefficents give the columns.
In this particular case,
[tex]\begin{bmatrix}-8 & -4\\ 9 & 4\end{bmatrix}\begin{bmatrix}1 \\ -2\end{bmatrix}= \begin{bmatrix}0 \\ 1\end{bmatrix}[/tex]
and we can write [itex]\begin{bmatrix}0 \\ 1\end{bmatrix}= -2\begin{bmatrix}1 \\ -2\end{bmatrix}+ 1\begin{bmatrix}2 \\ -3\end{bmatrix}[/itex]
so the first column of the matrix representation is [itex]\begin{bmatrix}-2 \\ 1\end{bmatrix}[/itex]
Similarly,
[tex]\begin{bmatrix}-8 & -4\\ 9 & 4\end{bmatrix}\begin{bmatrix}2 \\ -3\end{bmatrix}= \begin{bmatrix}-4 \\ 6\end{bmatrix}[/tex]
and [itex]\begin{bmatrix}-4 \\ 6\end{bmatrix}= 0\begin{bmatrix}1 \\-2\end{bmatrix}- 2\begin{bmatrix}2 \\ -3\end{bmatrix}[/itex]
so the second column is [itex]\begin{bmatrix}0 \\ -2\end{bmatrix}[/itex]
The matrix representation in this (ordered) basis is
[tex]\begin{bmatrix}-2 & 0 \\1 & -2\end{bmatrix}[/tex]