The Steampunk Function and Aesthetic

Opinion Piece from Steven:

Steampunk... the word conjures up visions of beautiful and ornate Victorian designs, yet at the same time the whirring and clinking of gears, the hiss of steam, and the smell of coal.

It's no surprise then, that with these two seemingly opposite aspects that getting into steampunk, one might be intrigued with the aesthetic or the function.

Neither approach is wrong, and each is an art unto its own, but they sometimes cross. The prime example is the gear. The gear is a piece of machinery designed for a purpose, such as keeping time or controlling a mechanical automaton. Yet, the intricacy and beauty of the inside of a timepiece strikes our aesthetic side. So which is it? Aesthetic or function? Either, neither, both?

So, when someone starts into the world of steampunk, they might be intrigued with one side or the other. It may be the case they want something that looks incredibly cool but couldn't possibly work. There's nothing wrong with this. The individual is mastering the aesthetic. Don't be quick to judge the lack of function. Sometimes, the aesthetic itself serves the function of being visually pleasing.

Another may be on the functional side, designing a project or gadget that does something amazing but lacks all of the ornament and beauty and brass that would be expected of a "steampunk" gadget. There's nothing wrong with this. Sometimes, the functional piece itself is it's own aesthetic, such as the gear.

So, my point is, aesthetic and function are both important, but don't worry if you haven't mastered both. That's part of the fun of this big strange world is learning what you can, playing in it, and taking something with you...