Merf. Thinking is Hard.

shwetanarayan:

And done!So this is my attempt at a steampunk Indian character. I was irritated into it by bad depictions of Western-aesthetic-pretty Indian Girlies in fake saris. Her hair is partly “inspired” by the Indian-rapunzels, because like Battameez, I cannot imagine an Indian woman with that much hair left unbraided.
I’ve tentatively named her Amrita Bai, but that’s probably not period-accurate so it’s subject to change as I do more research. Her family’s from Tamilnadu, & are Vishwakarma caste (specifically metalsmiths, I assume), but they moved to one of the forts under Shivaji’s control, and she’s training under a mechanical artificer there. — All subject to change as I do more research. (Plz do tell me if this is faily somehow…)
Real saris are hard. And group-specific; this is a Tamil-brahmin 9-yard sari, and probably not quite period accurate but I’m not sure how it’d be different. No blouse, because this is from my no-British-Raj alternate India. I haven’t actually worn a 9-yard sari myself, so I’m not at all sure I have the folds right on this one. But I did get input from my mother, who has.
Anyway ya know what’s not hard? Making her skin dark. I find that dark skin is so much easier to get looking human rather than zombie than pale skin is, so extra wtf to those whitewashers who say it’s haaaard.
And now I run off to the doctor.

reblogged it before, but always worth reblogging steampunk POC characters who lack Victoriana

And done!
So this is my attempt at a steampunk Indian character. I was irritated into it by bad depictions of Western-aesthetic-pretty Indian Girlies in fake saris. Her hair is partly “inspired” by the Indian-rapunzels, because like Battameez, I cannot imagine an Indian woman with that much hair left unbraided.

I’ve tentatively named her Amrita Bai, but that’s probably not period-accurate so it’s subject to change as I do more research. Her family’s from Tamilnadu, & are Vishwakarma caste (specifically metalsmiths, I assume), but they moved to one of the forts under Shivaji’s control, and she’s training under a mechanical artificer there. — All subject to change as I do more research. (Plz do tell me if this is faily somehow…)

Real saris are hard. And group-specific; this is a Tamil-brahmin 9-yard sari, and probably not quite period accurate but I’m not sure how it’d be different. No blouse, because this is from my no-British-Raj alternate India. I haven’t actually worn a 9-yard sari myself, so I’m not at all sure I have the folds right on this one. But I did get input from my mother, who has.

Anyway ya know what’s not hard? Making her skin dark. I find that dark skin is so much easier to get looking human rather than zombie than pale skin is, so extra wtf to those whitewashers who say it’s haaaard.

And now I run off to the doctor.

reblogged it before, but always worth reblogging steampunk POC characters who lack Victoriana

(via freshmouthgoddess)

May 18

bitchouttahell:

cleophatrajones:

yannickbrouwer:

This little company from Kenya makes toys from slippers that wash up on the beach. Pictures by Ben Curtis

How glorious is this?! Upcycling at its finest…

I have a couple bracelets made from the same stuff! yay

The company’s name is Ocean Sole: http://www.ocean-sole.com/

(via sara-huynh)

May 14

blackspeculativefiction:

We’ve talked the talk, now we’re walking the walk. Come walk with us!

http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/rite-of-passage-the-steamfunk-movie/x/157768

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOST

MVMedia are fierce folk, y’all.

(via beyondvictoriana)

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beyondvictoriana:

Steamfunk & Rococoa: A Black Victorian Fantasy

Animated short by Briaan L Barron

Film description:

The inspiration for Steamfunk and Rococoa: A Black Victorian Fantasy derived from an event inspiration board that I came across online. The board, which featured an intriguing medley of metals, vintage artifacts, and African jewelry, was entitled “Afro-Steampunk,” and its description read, “If Erykah Badu and Sherlock Holmes had a wedding.” The visual juxtaposition of these unexpected sources of inspiration led me to delve into more research on the concept of Afro-Steampunk to see if this striking aesthetic could be found elsewhere. My search exposed me not only to more fascinating representations of Black and African aesthetics coalescing with the steampunk genre, but also to a unique set of politics and critiques associated with them.

Closing Credits Music produced by Briaan L. Barron

(via thefemaletyrant)

May 10

Steampunk musician PSYCHE CORPORATION presents an electro-dance cover of Edgar Allan Poe’s poem “Annabel Lee”

To know more about this fantastic singer-songwriter-designer, check out my interview with her!

Or you can go straight to her website!

Or like her on Facebook!

Or follow her on Twitter!

Or all of the above! I don’t know man, it’s a free world, do whatever you like.

May 6

secretdreamsart:

Gaslight Gathering 2013

3 May 2013

© Kimberly Paul Photography

(via beyondvictoriana)

Apr 30

hearcanetheory replied to your post: “Friendly” Tech

people MAKE it “friendly” bc they imagine it like an action adventure movie, or like cowboys. ie, from a white, we ultimately benefit perspective. also theres the power fantasy involved, where you COULD be violent and its OK FOR YOU.

I smell logicking in the air.

I’m currently reading a book about how our spatial understanding of the world affects how we express stuff in language, whether it’s literal (“move the thing to the corner”) or metaphorical (“let’s move into this other subject of interest”), so I’m thinking through how our physical/spatial understanding of relationships between objects influences our imagination, which then manifest in either the narratives we play out, or the props we make.

Because POC and marginalized folks should also be like in action adventure movies, or be like cowboys on a wild frontier, where we get to be violent and not thrown into jail for it. But do we tend to go that way? I don’t really know… maybe it’s not a good idea to characterize all POC that way because there are definitely some terrific pics of POC with gun props (shoutout to Tony Hicks who makes awesome ray guns!), but we should feel entitled to that same kind of imaginative violence too… do we?

Looking at examples like Jeni Hellum and tainopunk with their own weaponry, yes, we do, but when tainopunk wields her rifle, it has a decidedly different sort of violence to it.

Apr 21

beyondvictoriana:

Beyond French Steampunk: Multiculturalism with Maurice Grunbaum

Striking. Powerful. Imposing. These are some of the words that come to mind when viewing a costume piece by Maurice Grunbaum. Maurice, an artist based in Paris, is well-known in the French alt and cosplay community for his amazing detailed costume and prop work, and images of his outfits have circulated throughout the steampunk aethernetz. I first noticed him in group shots with other steampunks of color (he’s the masked gentleman on the right).

On his Facebook, you can find detailed cosplays from Bioshock, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, and other steampunk-inspired sources. On the rise nationally in France, his art was included in the exhibition “Future Perfect: Retrofuturism/ Steampunk/ Archeomodernism” («Futur Antérieur: Rétrofuturisme/ Steampunk/ Archéomodernisme») at the Agnes B. Galerie in Paris.

When I read his interview included in the exhibit’s catalog, I was blown away by his articulate passion for everything steampunk and his need to broaden the definition of steampunk to include influences outside the Victorian and the French «La Belle Époque».

Read his interview on BeyondVictoriana.com

(via freshmouthgoddess)

Apr 16

discodancerdonna:

TaiChi 0

(via yiheyuans)

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beyondvictoriana:

Sean Peck of the Steampunk Chronicle interviews Milton Davis author and publisher. We talk about his work and how it fits in with the steampunk scene. Milton also talks about a new collection of stories called the SteamFunk Anthology which is now for sale at www.mvmediaatl.com.