The Art of Steampunk seeks to celebrate the world of Steampunk: a world filled with beauty and innovation. A world in which steam power and technology intertwine to create machines that are not only functional and practical, but unique and striking.
Inside, you will find the fantastical and stunning artwork of Steampunk artists from around the world. The 17 artists featured on these pages, among the frontrunners of the Steampunk genre, have had their work displayed at an exhibition at The Museum of History of Science at the University of Oxford, UK and have attracted the media attention of BoingBoing, one of the world’s largest blogs. Their artwork consists of everything from clocks and watches to light fixtures and jewelry, but every piece demonstrates hours of painstaking work and devotion from its creator. You will find that the artists themselves are just as unique and colorful as their masterpieces. Fully embracing Steampunk ideology, many have adopted a Victorian alter ego—a mad scientist persona to match the complicated intricacies of their artwork.
The Art of Steampunk brings the vision of the Steampunk artist alive on the page, providing a unique insight into the captivating and dynamic world of a vastly underground genre.
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About the Author
Art Donovan is the owner of Donovan Design, a handmade lighting company with clients like Tiffany & Co, Bennetti Luxury Yachts, and Four Seasons Resorts. He also specializes in Steampunk-inspired lighting and artwork, and runs a blog devoted to the subculture at http://artdonovan.typepad.com/blog/. He’s also a regular contributor on The Steampunk Home blog, and was the curator of the Steampunk Exhibition at the Museum of the History of Science at The University of Oxford.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
19 of 20 people found the following review helpful
By Anna
Format:Paperback
I received a copy of this book as a courtesy from the team at Fox Chapel after running into them at BEA2011 this past month in my professional capacity as an editor at Scholastic. I'm not sure they knew I was also a book blogger, but this one was too exciting not to talk about.
A fan of steampunk literature, I was immediately intrigued by the content. So used to building the worlds in my head, coupled together from snippets I've seen of Victorian technology and fashion, tidbits of old Jules Verne and the more recent Wild Wild West (1999) and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003) films, I was psyched about seeing some of the world come to real, hard life. After all, imagination has its limits. What better way to flesh it out than with photographs?
And, in The Art of Steampunk, the steampunk world really does take full form. Inside are well over 100 full color photos of some of the most intricate and finely crafted oddities you'll ever see. From Eric Freitas' exquisite and ethereal clocks, to Kris Kuksi's detailed warships--oh, and don't miss Richard Nagy's fully-functioning brass, leather, and copper laptops--the 17 artists showcased here have really populated the world of idea with extraordinary reality. Their pieces, all exhibited at Oxford University's Museum of the History of Science 2009-10 Steampunk show (curator, Art Donovan), will make you catch your breath. The intricate delicacy, brassy trim work, and tongue-in-cheek aplomb continually snagged me between the urgent desire to linger and the giddy itch to flip to the next discovery. Truly, whether chuckling or scrutinizing, you can't help but marvel at the all-around genius of their painstaking handiwork.
The only flaw I saw in the book was its overemphasis on preserving the details of the Oxford exhibition, which I fear may give shelf-browsers the impression that it's more a commemorative booklet of the event than a printed showcase of the art. However, as redundant as the forward, introduction, and introductory essay become by page 33, the front matter does contain some truly enlightening information about steampunk subculture and its art that explicate in enough detail to enlighten both newcomers and die-hard fans alike.
Verdict? A must for the avid steampunker.
(This review originally published at [...])
A fan of steampunk literature, I was immediately intrigued by the content. So used to building the worlds in my head, coupled together from snippets I've seen of Victorian technology and fashion, tidbits of old Jules Verne and the more recent Wild Wild West (1999) and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003) films, I was psyched about seeing some of the world come to real, hard life. After all, imagination has its limits. What better way to flesh it out than with photographs?
And, in The Art of Steampunk, the steampunk world really does take full form. Inside are well over 100 full color photos of some of the most intricate and finely crafted oddities you'll ever see. From Eric Freitas' exquisite and ethereal clocks, to Kris Kuksi's detailed warships--oh, and don't miss Richard Nagy's fully-functioning brass, leather, and copper laptops--the 17 artists showcased here have really populated the world of idea with extraordinary reality. Their pieces, all exhibited at Oxford University's Museum of the History of Science 2009-10 Steampunk show (curator, Art Donovan), will make you catch your breath. The intricate delicacy, brassy trim work, and tongue-in-cheek aplomb continually snagged me between the urgent desire to linger and the giddy itch to flip to the next discovery. Truly, whether chuckling or scrutinizing, you can't help but marvel at the all-around genius of their painstaking handiwork.
The only flaw I saw in the book was its overemphasis on preserving the details of the Oxford exhibition, which I fear may give shelf-browsers the impression that it's more a commemorative booklet of the event than a printed showcase of the art. However, as redundant as the forward, introduction, and introductory essay become by page 33, the front matter does contain some truly enlightening information about steampunk subculture and its art that explicate in enough detail to enlighten both newcomers and die-hard fans alike.
Verdict? A must for the avid steampunker.
(This review originally published at [...])
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
By Cape Rust
Format:Paperback
This book covers both the avid goggle wearing Steampunk to your everyday person who enjoys well made and well thought out art. The introduction to the book and the forward for the individual chapters is interesting and informative. I know steam punk and still learned quite a bit. For people who have never encountered this genre this book is a great introduction. This book should be on the coffee table of any author who wants to write Steampunk. Most of the items depicted have been made, not drawn. While these items don't actually function, the ability to visually hold a shock rifle or see the scale of some of these devices could be a huge asset. There were a few sculptures that while interesting, didn't feel like they were in synch with the rest of the items showcased in this book. I viewed the book on an IPad 2 and it looked great, I have a feeling the book itself is even better. Some things are better in hard copy and I think this might be one of those things. You can tell that this book is a love letter to Steampunk and all of it's coal filled goodness. Art often has the power to elicit emotions and this book does that in spades. If you are a tinker or just enjoy industrial art this book is worth your time and money. This book is even a great pictorial guide for people running a Steampunk inspired Role Playing Game. Give it a peek you will like what you see.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
By Andrew Werby
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
It's a quite comprehensive sampling of the genre, I thought - well-produced, with excellent photography and a cohesive look to it. While I haven't yet had a chance to read the whole thing, several artists' works stood out from a generally distinguished field. I particularly enjoyed Tom Banwell's variations on the gas mask, Thomas Willeford's ornithopter and articulated arachniform, and Ian Chrichton's vessel for traversing the "Aether between worlds". I also appreciated the fact that Art Donovan, the curator of the exhibit on which the book was based, also was a participant, with his amazingly fanciful but technically flawless lighting devices filling a previously empty niche in the Steampunk catacombs.
The show took a broad view of what Steampunk includes, perhaps broader in extent than I'd previously considered. From the goggles, gasmasks and repackaged electronics that typify the genre. it broadens the range to include experimental horologists like Eric Fretas and Haruo Suekichi, model engine-builder Jos de Vink, and assemblage sculptor Kris Kuksi. This is a good thing - for a movement based on the exercise of the imagination, it's always good to set out new directions to explore, rather than have it settle into a predictable set of forms, treated in a standard sort of way.
It makes me wonder, though, if there's any plan to keep these exhibitions going, since I'd really like to see some of these things for myself, without having to time-travel back to Oxford circa 2009 in a brass and glass clockwork mechanism of my own construction...
The show took a broad view of what Steampunk includes, perhaps broader in extent than I'd previously considered. From the goggles, gasmasks and repackaged electronics that typify the genre. it broadens the range to include experimental horologists like Eric Fretas and Haruo Suekichi, model engine-builder Jos de Vink, and assemblage sculptor Kris Kuksi. This is a good thing - for a movement based on the exercise of the imagination, it's always good to set out new directions to explore, rather than have it settle into a predictable set of forms, treated in a standard sort of way.
It makes me wonder, though, if there's any plan to keep these exhibitions going, since I'd really like to see some of these things for myself, without having to time-travel back to Oxford circa 2009 in a brass and glass clockwork mechanism of my own construction...
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
was fun to look at
full of ideas and great pictures, fun to look at and will add to our reference library for future use
Published 1 month ago by Daniel J. Muellerleile
4.0 out of 5 stars
Not quite what I was expecting...
I have to say, first off, that OI love this book. The pictures and the stories are beautiful and interesting. The only thing I was disappointed with was the size. Read more
Published 1 month ago by E. Waldrip
4.0 out of 5 stars
The way that retro should have been
The whole basis of Steampunk esthetic seems based on taking Victorian technology, glorifying it in hindsight, then bending it around modern Goth imagery. Read more
Published 2 months ago by wiredweird
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Art of Steampunk
An informative and visual must have for any
'Steampunk" enthusiast today.
5 stars and 2 thumbs up for Art Donovan!!
'Steampunk" enthusiast today.
5 stars and 2 thumbs up for Art Donovan!!
Published 2 months ago by leenabelle
5.0 out of 5 stars
Awesome!
A fascinating showcase of this beautifully sophisticated craft!
A real page turner that is hard to put down. Read more
A real page turner that is hard to put down. Read more
Published 3 months ago by GW
5.0 out of 5 stars
Nice representation of steampunk style art
The Art of Steampunk by Art Donovan is a great look at some samples of art in the steampunk genre. It is inspiring and well put together. I hope there will be a book number 2.
Published 3 months ago by mommyvaca
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing Book that Defines a Genre
This book is the quintessential collection of steampunk art and functional creations. Art Donovan is one of the true masters of the genre and one of the people who have helped... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Oliver Peterson
5.0 out of 5 stars
The book people will pick up first.
Art's ability to fuse elegance and earthiness is evident in the book's engagingly clever layout, delightfully innovative typeface design and richly descriptive text. Read more
Published 3 months ago by ChipF
5.0 out of 5 stars
Steam Punk Pioneer
This book is a collector's item for champions of the Steam Punk movement or an introduction for those who are just getting acquainted with it. Read more
Published 3 months ago by D. Rioux
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beautiful images, very inspiring book
I purchased this book because it was on the "wish list" for a friend, but I ended up keeping it for myself. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Golden Buff
Front Cover | Front Flap | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
