Victorian ParaTechnology art -- protosteampunk from 1993-1996

Posted by Cory Doctorow, August 7, 2008 11:43 PM | permalink

Marque's kinetic steampunk sculptures, built from junk, are very striking -- I'm really fond of "self-portrait," the first piece in the video. Marque made 'em 1993-1996, and he says, "Back then, I was calling it 'Victorian ParaTechnology'. The moniker of Steampunk flows so much better." Early Steampunk Kinetic Sculptures 1993-96 (Thanks, Marque!)

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Discussion

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#1 posted by WordyGrrl

, August 8, 2008 2:45 AM

Absolutely beautiful and cryptic. Excellent find!

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#2 posted by bjacques

, August 8, 2008 5:13 AM

Yum! I especially like the "ghost in the machine" aesthetic. I love *S*T*E*A*M*P*U*N*K* anyway, but I find the steampunk-by-accident stuff the most interesting. It shows how widespread the aesthetic is, that it steampunks when it's steampunk time, though its practitioners don't really have a name for it. And, by not hewing to a sort of canon, they can expand it.

The ghostly aspect (spiritualism, portraits of dead children) also gives steampunk an edge.

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#3 posted by Shrdlu , August 8, 2008 5:43 AM

I don't get Steampunk.

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#4 posted by Jake von Slatt

, August 8, 2008 7:05 AM

Oh those are brilliant!

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#5 posted by Takuan , August 8, 2008 7:25 AM

agreed!

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#6 posted by Blackhat , August 8, 2008 8:34 AM

Wow, creepy and very cool!

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#7 posted by holtt , August 8, 2008 8:36 AM

Beautiful stuff.

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#8 posted by TikiHead , August 8, 2008 10:05 AM

This guy's stuff is really beautiful.

I love the use of plumber's strapping (the metal perforated strips). I've used it a lot myself for projects -- I have a lamp made from a glass wig head, bound with plumber's straps and threaded rods, and mounted to an inverted steel bowl. Very Borg Queen looking.

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#9 posted by Anonymous , August 8, 2008 11:35 AM

i think proto-steampunk would be easily traced back to art jewelry from the 1970's. by the nineties, steampunk was already a word and there were scads of artists doing it successfully, most namely Thomas Mann.

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#10 posted by Art , August 8, 2008 12:05 PM

WOW!!!

I would love to have one of Marque's stunning works in the Steampunk Exhibition.

Fantastic sculptures- all.

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#11 posted by Jeff9821 , August 8, 2008 12:33 PM

City of Lost Children and Delicatessen are awesome steampunk movies, without even trying to be. I'm just sayin.

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#12 posted by slgalt , August 8, 2008 6:11 PM

Hi Q!!!! Good to see your work here.

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