Combination of Arts, Times, and Technology; Steampunk

Do you remember the animation movie Howl’s Moving Castle?  The main character Howl lived in a house that could be transported by magic.  The surprising thing is that although the house couldn’t move without Howl’s magic, the house was made of technological materials like crews and saw toothed wheels.  Odd, isn’t it?  Like Howl’s moving castle, the trend to integrate technological elements and creativity is called ‘Steampunk.’

Your Beginnings Will Seem Humble…

Steampunk began as a genre of science-fiction novels.  ‘Steampunk’ is derived from two words: ‘steam,’ representing the Industrial Revolution and ‘punk,’ symbolizing outsiders who do not follow modern trends.  Early steampunk was the start of the new genre in literature and some of the more known items including books like ‘Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea’ and ‘Around the World in 80 Days.’  However, today steampunk has once again gained fame after being reinvented in art.

In the 2000s, artists buckled down to reinvent steampunk art.  They incorporated artistic value into 19th century technology and functional elements.  Also, they added their own creativity.  In time, the atmosphere of steampunk evolved.  Artists now not only express nostalgia in today’s modern affluent society, but also include confusion between rationality and emotion in terms of fin de siècle^*.

Steampunk has also extended its image to the design era.  Many artists have been influenced by steampunk’s traditional traits: saw toothed wheels, complex machinery, luxury, and decoration.  Steampunk is aspired by ‘lifestyle’ which is an all-encompassing culture.  We can see steampunk art on bikes, masks, and even some toys!

So Prosperous Steampunk will be

Steampunk is not just art.  It is the combination of technology and imagination, an integration of the past and now.  It is the working trend to represent and fuse the 21st and 19th centuries.  How about visiting this amazing exhibition and thinking about society trends?

 
^*  Fin de siècle is a term used to describe something that is thought to be typical in the end of the nineteenth century, especially when it is considered stylish or exaggerated.