What Is Retro Futurism And Why Is It Trending In 2021
Retro futurism is an artistic movement that depicts stylistic combinations of old-fashioned “retro styles” with futuristic technology.
According to thevou.com retrofuturism definition is:
“part utopian and part dystopian, Retro futurism is a cultural movement depicting how the future was viewed in the past: flying cars, zeppelins, laser guns, floating cities, tube transportation, time travel, the conquest of the galaxy, personal robots, and submarines.”
Retrofuturism was born as a skeptical approach to futurists’ dreams and fevered visions of flying cars, robotic servants, space colonies, and interstellar travel.
While overall positive, Retrofuturism also explores themes of potential tension between past and future and the alienating effects of technology on humanity.
Retrofuturism can be separated into several genres, each according to the depicted technological and cultural era.
The most popular retrofuturist genres are:
- Cyberpunk — Originating in the early 80s Cyberpunk, was the first to be recognized as a retro-futurist genre.
- Steampunk — Although the steam engine was invented in the 18th century by James Watt, steam was a symbol of progress throughout the nineteenth century, and that is the time Steampunk is aiming at.
- Atompunk — Atompunk envisions a utopian future characterized by bubble domes, glittering cities, and hover cars for everyone, all powered by nuclear energy.
- Dieselpunk — Dieselpunk covers the 1920s to 1950s, and it is infused with the alternate history of a different World War II, where the Axis claims victory.
- Raygun Gothic — Raygun Gothic is a catchall term for a visual style that incorporates various aspects of the Streamline Moderne and Art Deco architectural styles when applied to retrofuturistic science fiction environments.
Read more about the retro futurism genres and retro futuristic fashion on The VOU.
