steampunk

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Art

Symbols and Colorful Motifs Inscribe Tomàs Barceló’s Fragmented Steampunk Sculptures

Following a series of fantastic steampunk busts, Tomàs Barceló continues to sculpt figures that infuse classical foundations with otherworldly, mechanical visions. The Cala Millor, Mallorca-based artist shapes faces and limbs from fragmented shards of ceramic and plaster, which are often cloaked with symbols, patterns, and filigree rendered in shellac, acrylics, and chalk and iron paints. Barceló is broadly concerned with establishing a unique presence in his works, which tend to confront the viewer with a steadfast stare or calm, spiritual aura, and each sculpture appears as a relic from a futuristic past.

The artist generously shares a timelapse of the process behind the polychromatic tomb-like work “Naar Keizar” shown below, along with other behind-the-scenes glimpses on YouTube. Find a larger archive of his sculptures on his site and Instagram.

 

Art

Steampunk Busts Sculpted from Resin and Repurposed Objects Evoke Futuristic Relics

Spotted with corroded patches, Tomàs Barceló’s sculptures fuse classical antiquity and retro-futurism. The Cala Millor, Mallorca-based artist casts steampunk-style figures from resin and recycled objects that resemble ancient art while evoking otherworldly relics of an alternate reality.

Barceló sculpts the polychromatic artworks with a narrative and identity in mind, considering the way each will interact with others. He expands on the idea in a recent interview:

I believe that sculpture is the art of presence… Sculpture shares space and time with the viewer, and that is what makes it so powerful. That’s why I don’t try so much to tell stories as I try to create powerful presences, each in its own way. The fact that a small robot girl looks at you more intensely than you look at her, is fascinating to me.

Despite having created sculptures of clay, LEGO, and cardboard since childhood, Barceló fully immersed himself in the art world in 2014 after working for years as a high-school teacher. Throughout the 20 years leading up to his current practice, Barceló has realized the potential of juxtaposing traditional and fantastic elements. “For too long, I was focused only on the language of sculpture, and I forgot the content,” he says. “As if, to make a classical sculpture, I could only make naked figures; or if I wanted to make something of Egyptian-style, I had to make writings, and so on.”

Barceló lists available pieces on Etsy, and you can find more of his figurative sculptures on Instagram.

 

Art

Antique Watches, Cameras, and Medical Equipment Morph Into Meticulous Steampunk Spiders

For 25 years, art director and artist Peter Szucsy has filled his days with rendering the bizarre, sinister beasts that run rampant through video games. “I have made many creatures, monsters in the virtual world… but a few years ago I felt it is about time to create something different,” he says of his time working in the industry. “So I left my computer and made lots of my ideas come alive in the real world.”

The result is a curious menagerie of steampunk spiders that the Budapest-based artist assembles with parts of vintage watches, cameras, and medical equipment. Each week, Szucsy scours a flea market near his home to find materials that include rare, pricey timepieces, although the artist notes he avoids dismantling anything that a museum or institution would value. In his studio, he parses the found metals and meticulously crafts the articulate eight-legged creatures.

Szucsy holds a degree in illustration from Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design and plans to launch an online shop to sell some of the spiders in the coming days. You can follow his latest creatures, which he hopes to include dragonflies and praying mantises, on Instagram.

 

Art

Meticulously Crafted Steampunk Creatures by Igor Verny Feature Articulated Wings and Limbs

If Igor Verny’s dragonflies and birds have difficulty taking flight, they may need a few squirts of WD-40 to get their metallic wings flapping. The Russian artist (previously) assembles steampunk-inspired sculptures that are fully articulated and can be shaped into realistic poses of daily activities. Merging the organic and industrial, each polished insect and animal is formed with scrap metal and other discarded objects. To see Verny modeling his organisms’ movements, head to Instagram.

 

 

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A post shared by Igor Verny (@igorverny) on Mar 31, 2020 at 10:32pm PDT

Design

Augmented Reality and Old-Fashioned Woodworking Techniques Forge a Sinuous Sculpture in Tallinn

A slate of new public structures have overtaken the Estonian city of Tallin for the 2019 Tallinn Architecture Biennale. Steampunk, created by SoomeenHahm Design, Igor Pantic, and Fologram, merges forward-thinking technology and old-world woodworking techniques in a sinuous sculptural pavilion.

“Computer aided manufacturing and robotics have given architects unprecedented control over the materialization of their designs, but the nuance and subtlety commonly found in traditional craft practices is absent from the artifacts of robotic production.” the design team told dezeen.

To form the swooping structure, the designers created digital models that were then projected using augmented reality. These projections functioned as guides for the construction team, who used steam-bent hardwood and hand tools to build Steampunk.

Explore more of the Biennale on Instagram and Facebook, and if you enjoy Steampunk, also check out the artful public structures of THEVERYMANY and Matthias Pliessnig’s steam-bent furniture. (via dezeen)

Art

Magnificent Cardboard Airships by Jeroen van Kesteren

Over the last year, Netherlands-based artist Jeroen van Kesteren has been toiling away at these sculptural airships as part of a series titled Orphanage for Lost Adventures. Made primarily from cardboard, aluminum foil, adhesives, and an assortment of papers used for sails and propellers, the whimsical flying machines have a distinct steampunk feel. The pieces range from 40 to 50 centimeters tall and take about a month to make. Jeroen shares additional images of the airships and several additional sculptures on Pinterest. (via Colossal Submissions)