A few weeks ago I had the great pleasure to host a steampunk discussion at Mythic Faire, a fantasy/myth/alt culture convention that features live music, masquerade balls and special guests. I had a stellar time, both as a guest and an attendee, with the steampunk panel discussion being the highlight of my weekend. I type “panel discussion” with a bit of a smirk, because truth be told it was just me up there on the dais. Every faire or convention has it’s little surprises and this wasn’t the first time I’ve found myself without panel partners. Thankfully I’m an experienced public speaker with a background in theater and improv, so crowds of people wearing expectant expressions don’t generally intimidate me. And hey, at least I know how to make an entrance.
The great thing about doing a panel discussion on your own is that you have the freedom to turn what would be an “us talking at all of you” experience into an “all of us talking to each other” experience. So that’s what we did. The result was a lively and informative discussion on the deep roots and underlying philosophy of steampunk. Beyond top hats and goggles, beyond modded keyboards and brassy rayguns, beyond cos-play, corsets, and Lord and Lady RPG – what exactly is at the heart of steampunk?
What we discovered as we explored this topic together is that to many of us (certainly to the people present in the room that day) steampunk is so much more then a simple aesthetic. It’s a philosophy for life. Steampunkian principles can be applied to any aspect of your life. A commitment to self sufficiency and the creativity of the individual, support of small and local business, respect of artisanship and traditional materials are core steampunk concepts. Hardcore steampunk enthusiasts tend towards a longing to downsize the material aspects of their lives, while simultaneously demanding more function, better design and romantic execution of the objects they choose to have around them.
In fact you might say that the steampunk philosophy could be summed up in this golden rule:
‘Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful’
Guess who said that?
William Morris, the Victorian era designer and founder of the Arts and Crafts movement.
I firmly believe that steampunk as a philosophy has it’s deepest roots in the Arts and Crafts Movement of the 1860s. This movement was largely a backlash to the Industrial Revolution of the early 1800s. Arts and Crafts philosophy favored the skilled work of human hands and master craftsman over mass-produced and commercially made items. It was this same debate that dominated the discussion at Mythic Faire. Is the value of an object inherent only on it’s surface? What about how, or where the piece was made? Is an object steampunk because you’ve glued cogs to it, or because of it’s purpose? It’s this very same discussion that spurred on the development of glorious movements of art and design that we so treasure today. 150 years later we are having the same debates over mass produced imported goods, versus locally made and artisanal items. It’s a good debate, with complex questions and few simple answers.
For my part I enjoyed the lively discussion that manifested and look forward to exploring the connection that steampunk philosophy has to current social and economic issues more in the future. What are your thoughts? Share them in the comments!
Editor’s Note: There’s still time to enter to win one of Brigid’s Steampunk figurines! Deadline for the giveaway is Sunday night.
Wow, that is an interesting theory about the Arts and Craft Movement as a response to the Industrial Revolution, and linking that movement to Steampunk.
I personally link Steampunk WITH the Industrial Revolution (gadgets and gears). And as far as the arts were concerned, the Romantic movement came out of people not wanting all those machines (steam, electrical or otherwise) dictating their lives, and to go back to nature and simple beauty. The Romantic movement is very much linked to modern Goth sub-cultures.
Yet today’s DIY culture definitely tends towards the Steampunk aesthetic. Hmmmm….
Now that William Morris quote is a life philosophy on its own.. This article does shed a whole new light on Steam punk for me. While I feel dismay when I see – “stick a gear on it” I had always put SP into the Industrial category. Machines, inventions, how they work, work efficiency. Your thoughts on the artistry and craftsmanship behind those items is interesting, a new twist to me, one that makes perfect sense. SP although industrial in design, is itself a reaction to the Industrial revolution. A return to the well crafted, individualized items, and a turning away from repetition, mass market, and the like… Hmm.