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| VICTORIAN CULTURE |
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| FANTASY |
When
someone asks you what ‘STEAMPUNK’ is, can you really describe it well? And what's the first visual experience that comes to mind? Well, in my case, I’ve always been watching Steampunk related films
but I only had a rough clue about what it really was. To summarize it, this is
what was in my head.
= STEAMPUNK
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| MACHINERY |
Well, before we get on to my part of the project, here's a video about steampunk:
Was that not enought? Then click on this interview:
Moving on to more serious matters, after researching a little about steampunk, I can vouch that it's a very interesting hybridization of machinery in the Victorian or sometimes even fantasy setting. But, when you mix them all together, it would turn out into a harmonious masterpiece. Also, steampunk machinery is powered non-other than by steam & charcoal. In order to create my own steampunk landscape, I've done a bit of digging and here's what I found... (ENJOY!)
As you can see, almost every picture here has machinery elements, right? Well, so far all I've been showing you are examples of Western Influenced Steampunk. Now, I'm gonna show you some animated steampunk that originates from my favourite artist residing in Japan who has been sought out to produce animated films. And he has been in this industry for half a century. He is a reknowned artist/co-founder of Studio Ghibli. The reason I enjoy his art is because he is quite famous and creative for his machinery drawings. They can be so complex that it's more than admirable, and I bet he has done plenty of research about it too. From what I've read, he's been fascinated with machinery itself ever since he was a boy. Apparently he pursued his interest and until today, he still doesn't let me down. This is the man I'm talking about is...
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| HAYAO MIYAZAKI 宮崎 駿 Now, let me show you proof of his amazing artwork that has been animated into equally amazing films! A) HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE (ハウルの動く城) - A romantic story set in the fantasy (costume) world that plays along the line of sorcery & myths. What captures the imagination is the moving castle below that looks like a mixture of a ship & inventory from the middle ages.  |
B) Laputa: Castle In The Sky (天空の城ラピュタ)
- A sweet romantic story a fantasy/old age land (settings & costume) where a young boy & a girl who fell from the sky are on a journey to search for the legendary 'Castle In The Sky' which is rather awe and mysterious. It also features air-ships from the olden days, powered by steam. There are also interesting looking robots inhabiting the castle.
C) NAUSICAA OF THE VALLEY OF THE WIND (風の谷のナウシカ)
- an absolute fantasy story about 1000 years after the apocalyptic war, where humans are scarce. This film touches on made-up characters who uses air-ships similar to a bird's wings, and the monsters depicted are quite machinery.
D) Steamboy Movie (スチームボーイ)
- a hardcore Japanese steampunk animated film by Katsuhiro Otomo (producer of Akira) which is set in the year 1863 (19th century Europe), England.
E) FINAL FANTASY SERIES
So far, that's the most of what I can find and it's more than enough for you & I to understand what Steampunk is really about.
What Do I Understand About Steampunk?
Well, this is just my opinion. I think that Steampunk is actually a very influential art that you can find especially in computer games, fashion & animated films these days. I'm glad that people appreciate this kind of art as it's not easy to just create something so complex and amazing out of the blue. For me, Steampunk is in a class of its own as it combines many different elements to produce an entirely whole new dimension. Personally, I believe that 'Fantasy', 'Victorian Age Culture' & 'Machinery' are individually unique and beautiful when set apart, as they let you feel differently when you look at it alone. However, when solidified, these elements show you how creative the artist can be and how complicated his thoughts are. (From what I've learnt throughout my life, complex art is something that most people would appreciate because they understand the time & effort the artist spends on it.)
To conclude this blog post, I will update you guys on my very own STEAMPUNK LANDSCAPE as soon as possible! As I've mentioned, it takes time to create a masterpiece =D
So, here's a lil' steampunk treat for reading my blog =)!!
AND HERE"S MY TWO-DIMENSIONAL DESIGN OF STEAMPUNK (Fantasy & Machinery)
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