Monday, June 23, 2008

steampunk's thin white duke

steampunk has moved from the fringes of literature to a lifestyle in what seems to me to be record time. a full spectrum of talented and imaginative artists and designers willing to develop and provide the accoutrements for the steampunk lifestyle has emerged.

drawing on an aesthetic that jules verne would have felt at home with (and that often looks like stage props that fell off the set of “twenty thousand leagues under the sea”. hey while i’m thinking about it, you can read the book here or download the book as a pdf at the same site.

on the subject of steampunkish design, i came across a designer who is crafting some lovely and interesting odds and ends named art donovan. art has some really nice work at his site including this steampunkish clock . . .
and this exquisite and lovingly detailed lamp named “the thin white duke”. . .
standing 50 inches tall and 21 inches wide at the lampshade, the thin white duke is made of solid mahogany, solid brass, glass, bronze mesh and steel. what distinguishes art’s work from other steampunk designers is his willingness to incorporate a variety of materials and textures that contribute to the aesthetic and functional aspects of his designs . . . .

if you’re drawn to his work you can see more of it at his website or nip over to art’s other blog which has images and text connected to his current design work which moves in a wide range of attractive and intriguing directions.