Gary Nicholls: ‘River Dane’
Victoriana, contraptions, gadgets, romance and steam… ring any bells? It’s coming up to the season to see those fantastical Steampunk costumes in the glory of the Summer sunshine and we couldn’t be more excited. A prolific reputation to say the least, Lincoln’s Weekend At The Asylum Festival has been named as ‘the largest Steampunk event in the solar system and with over 140,000 visitors at last year’s event alone, we can see why!
Last week Steampunk artist and photographer Gary Nicholls made a Sky News appearance and having captivated us with his last book ‘The Imaginarium’ we’re eager to get our hands on his forthcoming Book 2 of his Steampunk trilogy. Recalling the moment he first attended Lincoln’s infamous festival, Gary notes that the Victorian clothing “made you stand up tall and feel good” and visiting the festival as a photographer with the intention of taking a few photos, Gary’s visit was actually only the beginning of what became a 450 image trilogy.
Taking inspiration from the likes of Caravaggio and Vermeer in their creation of luminescence using light, Gary brings a parallel of reality to life through his Steampunk creations. A notable dedication towards each image, Gary talked of how he spent 600 hours on his ‘Cambridge street scene’ alone, involving images of 37 buildings and 150 genuine Steampunks in its formation.
Gary Nicholls: Cambridge Street Scene
Gary Nicholls: ‘Alice Night Circus’
With his second book well underway Gary has already tinged its arrival with classic Steampunk mystery and flair. A trilogy involving the thrills of murder, mystery and prostitution, the story is compacted with secrecy and conundrums and what better way to bring this mystery to life than to create an enigma of his own. Hiding £15,000 of his art somewhere in the world, Gary has placed clues, riddles and a grid reference of the location in his forthcoming book, bringing the suspension and thrill of Steampunk to life.
Steampunk is undoubtedly notable for its eccentric outfits and liberal dose of creativity, but the fashion isn’t just for catching eyes… it’s also very eco-friendly. A movement that places the Steampunk emphasis on re-using materials and up-cycling outfits and furniture, this Steampunk mindset has been creeping up everywhere… and you might not have even noticed. With an obsession of materials such as copper, brass and wood – just to name a few – the slightly Gothic interior designs have risen in popularity, bringing back designs such as the 19th century filament light bulbs and chesterfield sofas.
The Steampunk mindset has undoubtedly flaunted its boundless influences on all aspects of lifestyle and with the emphasis on re-using materials and that classic singular gentlemanly Steampunk rule ‘to always be splendid and polite’ there’s no reason to not get behind the growing phenomena that is STEAMPUNK!
skype – quitegr8
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