Steampunk

 

      A few of my last posts have been concerned quite a bit with the idea of aesthetic. So, I thought I would do a short post concerning an aesthetic style I personally find fascinating, but I also think is extemely hard to pull off (hence it is used so little). The name of this style is steampunk.

     Steampunk is a very unique aesthetic that attempts to mix Victorian style architecture and clothing with technology. However, the uniqueness comes from the fact that said technology is nearly always powered in some form or another by steam. This gives this particular style a very gritty, yet sophisticated look. It also tends to bring back memories of what you can think of as "classical"times. It used very rarely, and pulled off even more rarely. The reason, in my opinion, for this is that this style requires a lot of art and such to pull off the look, and even more work in terms of making costumes and props. Also, I think that this style requires that the director be accutely aware of the uncany valley, because people are aware that we use electricity, not steam, to power modern technology. Getting them to think about a place where something older still remains supreme can take quite a bit of work. But, when it is done well, steampunk can produce some amazing results. See my example below. Also, while the movie does have problems in terms of plot (it's a bit thin), the anime movie Steamboy is pretty good, and in terms of steampunk aesthetic is a true wonder to behold.