The Machine Anxieties of Steampunk: Contemporary Philosophy, Victorian Aesthetics, and the Future

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Kathe Hicks Albrecht (Institute for Doctoral Studies in the Visual Arts, USA)

The Machine Anxieties of Steampunk

Contemporary Philosophy, Victorian Aesthetics, and the Future

Kathe Hicks Albrecht (Institute for Doctoral Studies in the Visual Arts, USA)

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Paperback

Forthcoming
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English

Bloomsbury Visual Arts
17 October 2024

Theory of art; Art & design styles: Pop art; Man-made objects depicted in art (cityscapes & machines)

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.

By: Kathe Hicks Albrecht (Institute for Doctoral Studies in the Visual Arts USA)
Imprint: Bloomsbury Visual Arts
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 229mm, Width: 152mm,
ISBN: 9781501384271
ISBN 10: 1501384279
Pages: 240
Publication Date: 17 October 2024
Audience: College/higher education , Primary
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

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

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.

Reviews for The Machine Anxieties of Steampunk: Contemporary Philosophy, Victorian Aesthetics, and the Future

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