The world of Steampunk is currently enjoying a renaissance.
Out of all the strange and fascinating Steampunk accessories that go with this Neo- Victorian art form, my passion is for Steampunk Jewelry.
When I see someone wearing Steampunk Jewelry, it’s like a symbol, as recognisable as the compass and setsquare of the freemasons, the pentagram of the Wiccans or the Ankh of the Goths (and lets not forget Ancient Egyptians!).
In my mind there is so much more to Steampunk Jewelry than cogs and old watch parts glued to rings and pendants, with the repurposing of these components there is an intrinsic appreciation of the skill and artistry of the past.
Securing old watch parts has become no easy task, as enthusiasts are snapping up vintage timepieces and contemporary watches are comprised mainly of plastic, making them irrelevant.
Whilst there has always been a collectable market for wonderfully crafted timepieces
Sadly broken or less collectable watches were discarded, but with the Steampunk movement the intricate and beautiful objects of yesteryear have been given a new lease of life.
When you open the watches and clocks of yesteryear it’s like opening a treasure chest; you’ll often find rubies along with the elaborate and gorgeous movements.
With the resetting of these movements and rearrangement of the components these antiquated artefacts take on a fresh new relevance in this wonderful and intricate art form.
Steampunk Jewelry Silver Cufflinks
Technorati Tags: Cufflinks, Geekery, Gothic Jewelry, Industrial Jewelry, Neo Victorian Jewelry, Steampunk, Steampunk Accessories, Steampunk Fashion, Steampunk Jewelry, Watch Movement Cufflinks
There is an interesting article on MTV Com (of all places) about the Steampunk Phenomena and how it is about to break into the mainstream (although there is ample signs that this is already happening!).
A good point about the emergence of Steampunk Fashion comes from Voltaire (a renowned musician of all things Steampunk and Gothic) as he reveals that even Levi’s are jumping on the Bandwagon with a recent window dressing showing a pair of distressed jeans and an “old timey shirt and top-hat”.
It is fascinating that the genre has already crossed over to Hip Hop with the works of Dr Phineas Waldorf Steel, a man who has a profound message for the happiness starved masses “It all comes down to having fun. We spend our lives trapped, when all we really want to do is play. So, let the people play! Let us build a Utopian Playland.”
Whilst I have no doubt that the crossover for Steampunk from underground to Mainstream will alienate a few, it will bring more people and more ideas and that can be a good thing.
Although if Martha Stewart starts sporting Steampunk Jewelry and brass goggles in an attempt to hawk her magazines it may be time to pack up, board the air ships and fly to quieter climes.
http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1595812/20080926/abney_park.jhtml
Technorati Tags: Gothic Jewelry, Industrial Jewelry, Neo Victorian Jewelry, Steampunk, Steampunk Accessories, Steampunk Fashion, Steampunk Jewelry
I just found a fascinating interview with Haruo Suekichi, a watchmaker who is considered to be a Tokyo Steampunk Artist.
Mr Suekichi has been making his own watches from scratch (including the watch parts themselves) for close to thirteen years now and the skill and finesse in his work really stands out.
As someone who makes their own Steampunk Jewelry – I found it inspirational that his initial attempts to flog his wares in the fleapits paid off in such a big way!
Of the 7000 watches, one was made for a man with one arm and since making this customised piece, the artist realised that watches can be any shape he can imagine – rather than the more conventional watches we see in the high street.
Although his watches are inspired by Manga, they certainly crossover as Steampunk Accessories. Haruo works mainly with brass and leather and explains that the older brass gets, the darker it becomes, lending his watches the look of strange and fascinating antiquities.
The timepieces are quite amazing and for anyone interested in Steampunk Jewelry, or simply great craftsmanship, they are well worth a look.
http://pingmag.jp/2008/09/26/haruo-suekichi-the-steampunk-watchmaker/
Technorati Tags: Gothic Jewelry, Industrial Jewelry, Neo Victorian Jewelry, Steampunk, Steampunk Accessories, Steampunk Fashion, Steampunk Jewelry
I just found a really cool Flickr set of some very unusual Steampunk Art.
The Chicago based Artist, Nicrosin, has been making some amazing pieces that he calls “Chronomorphs”, all manner of Steampunk Jewelry and gadgets and gizmos. For me, the pièce de résistance is his “Mechanical Aural Communication Device” which is essentially a Steampunk Bluetooth Earpiece, made of watch parts and sculpey and lined with leather.
Sadly these fantastic Steampunk Accessories are non-functioning at the moment, but who knows what the future might bring?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nicrosin/sets/72157603710825786/
Technorati Tags: Gothic Jewelry, Industrial Jewelry, Neo Victorian Jewelry, Steampunk, Steampunk Accessories, Steampunk Fashion, Steampunk Jewelry
Just found a really cool exhibition in the Seattle area, for anyone with an interest in Steampunk.
The exhibition features thirteen Artists and there is a whole range of work from Steampunk Jewelry, to modified keyboards and MP3 players, artwork, even a Steampunk Stratocaster!
I’m really looking forward to going along and seeing these amazing pieces of artwork.
The Exhibition runs until the 3rd October, for more information see the link below.
http://suite100gallery.com/show/2008/09/12/anachrotechnofetishism
Technorati Tags: Gothic Jewelry, Industrial Jewelry, Neo Victorian Jewelry, Steampunk, Steampunk Accessories, Steampunk Fashion, Steampunk Jewelry
Whilst my main interest is in Steampunk Jewelry, I came across this fascinating article about Automata.
I had never heard of the “Digesting Duck”, a mechanical animal that was said to be able to eat and digest grain and then defecate it.
Although a hoax, it was still impressive, if not slightly odd!
The Article also contains the infamous “Mechanical Turk”, a doll in Eastern dress who had its own intelligence and could play chess against human opponents.
It was only after the inventor’s death that the Turk was found to be an elaborate hoax.
http://io9.com/5053731/historys-greatest-robot-hoaxes
Technorati Tags: Gothic Jewelry, Industrial Jewelry, Neo Victorian Jewelry, Steampunk, Steampunk Accessories, Steampunk Jewelry
Just found an interesting piece about an 8 foot Predator statue which stands guard over a Junkyard in South London.
This would make a great piece of Steampunk Jewelry or art, though at a $10K asking price, its a little out of my budget.
The owners are unwilling to tell how the Predator arrived which is a shame as it would be great to know who made this incredible piece of art!
http://readmore-webphemera.blogspot.com/2008/09/predator-lands-in-london.html
Technorati Tags: Gothic Jewelry, Industrial Jewelry, Neo Victorian Jewelry, Steampunk, Steampunk Accessories, Steampunk Jewelry
For those with an interest in Steampunk Jewelry, the latest timepiece unveiled this week and introduced by Stephen Hawking, may be a little steep in price at £1m!
The Corpus Clock is a stark reminder of our own mortality ticking away and even comes with a grasshopper sat atop, otherwise known as a ‘Chronophage’ or ‘time-eater’ – an amazing piece of work in its own right and very Steampunk!
The Clock has no hands and instead uses light to represent time as a wave coming from the centre of the universe. As well as being an artwork and functioning timepiece, the Clock is also a wonderfully ornate reminder of our own time ticking away, the Chronophage hungrily eating away at those passing seconds.
For anyone wishing to see this amazing, giant piece of Steampunk Jewelry, the Corpus Clock can be found at the Corpus Christi College in Cambridge, England.
http://crave.cnet.co.uk/gadgets/0,39029552,49299026,00.htm
Technorati Tags: Gothic Jewelry, Industrial Jewelry, Neo Victorian Jewelry, Steampunk, Steampunk Jewelry
