
The Machine Anxieties of Steampunk
Contemporary Philosophy, Victorian Aesthetics, and the Future
Kathe Hicks Albrecht(Author)
Bloomsbury Visual Arts (Publisher)
Published on 19. September 2024
Book
Paperback/Softback
240 pages
978-1-5013-8427-1 (ISBN)
Description
What is steampunk and why are people across the globe eagerly embracing its neo-Victorian aesthetic? Aesthetic program, literary genre, philosophy, and subculture, Steampunk embraces a universal vision that questions our relationship with time itself. This book provides a deep dive into the movement's relationship to current philosophical trends and the relationship of the individual to the networked world. At once explanation, history, interpretation, and wide-ranging survey, the book brings in perspectives from cultural and literary studies, art history and aesthetics, to reveal the wide-reaching potential of Steampunk as genre and sensibility.
Connecting high and popular culture, this book demonstrates how Steampunk-egalitarian, inclusive, optimistic-presents a universal vision of the future. It provides readers with an understanding of significant issues in philosophical thought whilst relating these to the important role that visual culture plays in contemporary society. Offering fresh perspectives across various disciplines, it serves as an essential introduction to Steampunk for both enthusiasts and specialists, spanning fashion design, art history, contemporary philosophy, and Internet studies. In doing so, the book forges an illuminating path that will guide historians of the present well into the future.
Connecting high and popular culture, this book demonstrates how Steampunk-egalitarian, inclusive, optimistic-presents a universal vision of the future. It provides readers with an understanding of significant issues in philosophical thought whilst relating these to the important role that visual culture plays in contemporary society. Offering fresh perspectives across various disciplines, it serves as an essential introduction to Steampunk for both enthusiasts and specialists, spanning fashion design, art history, contemporary philosophy, and Internet studies. In doing so, the book forges an illuminating path that will guide historians of the present well into the future.
Reviews / Votes
The Machine Anxieties of Steampunk provides a fascinating insight into the contemporary art movement's relationship to current thinking and major philosophical trends. Importantly, it brings to focus the struggle of today's individual as she navigates our complex and technologically networked world. Kathe Albrecht reveals that steampunk-egalitarian, inclusive, optimistic-offers a bridge to the future. It is only when we open up the traditional art history canon, as Albrecht does here, that we can forge a path forward that recognizes the contributions of all. * Susan Fisher Sterling, The Alice West Director, National Museum of Women in the Arts, USA * Kathe Albrecht's book opens our eyes to a whole new field of philosophical and aesthetic inquiry, and marks a significant turn in the current debates concerning the future of Homo sapiens. * George Smith, Founder and President, and Edgar E. Coons, Jr. Professor of New Philosophy, Institute for Doctoral Studies in the Visual Arts, USA *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Target group
College/higher education
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Unsewn / adhesive bound
Illustrations
17 color and 18 b&w illus
Dimensions
Height: 226 mm
Width: 152 mm
Thickness: 16 mm
Weight
540 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-5013-8427-1 (9781501384271)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Kathe Hicks Albrecht
The Machine Anxieties of Steampunk
Contemporary Philosophy, Victorian Aesthetics, and the Future
E-Book
11/2021
1st Edition
Bloomsbury Visual Arts
€29.49
Available for download

Kathe Hicks Albrecht
The Machine Anxieties of Steampunk
Contemporary Philosophy, Victorian Aesthetics, and the Future
E-Book
11/2021
1st Edition
Bloomsbury Visual Arts
€29.49
Available for download
Person
Kathe Hicks Albrecht is a philosophy, aesthetics, and art theory instructor at the Institute for Doctoral Studies in the Visual Arts, USA. She has taught in the college classroom, educational seminars, and professional workshops. Her work on educational issues is broadly published and has appeared in Art Documentation, MCN SPECTRA, Getty Institute Publications, among others.
Content
Introduction
1. The Origins of Steampunk: Science Fiction and Victoriana
2. The Victorian/Steampunk Connection: Upheaval, Discovery and the Birth of Modernism
3. The Steampunk Aesthetic in Contemporary Visual Art
4. Performing Steampunk
5. Steampunk's Challenge to Contemporary Philosophy
6. Beyond Steampunk
Bibliography
Notes
Index
1. The Origins of Steampunk: Science Fiction and Victoriana
2. The Victorian/Steampunk Connection: Upheaval, Discovery and the Birth of Modernism
3. The Steampunk Aesthetic in Contemporary Visual Art
4. Performing Steampunk
5. Steampunk's Challenge to Contemporary Philosophy
6. Beyond Steampunk
Bibliography
Notes
Index