An Overview of Dieselpunk Art

The artwork is heavily influenced by art movements prevalent in Western culture during the diesel era^[2]. Key influences include Art Deco, Film Noir, pulp magazines, and commercial and industrial imagery^[6]. It also borrows from various art styles, including Streamline Moderne, and World War II art and propaganda^[4]. This encompasses traditional tropes and genres like pulp adventure, film noir and weird horror, blended with a contemporary aesthetic^[2]. Tome Wilson noted that artists were creating a future fueled by the spirit of the Jazz Age^[2].

Dieselpunk art often showcases bizarre machines full of esoteric levers and cracked-glass meters, visually intense and pretty sinister-looking when photographed^[2]. The style often includes dark, muted colors and an overall gritty, atmospheric feel, reminiscent of noir films and vintage science fiction illustrations^[3]. It emphasizes robust diesel engines, metallic surfaces, and a sense of rugged functionality^[8]. Common elements include streamlined curves, gleaming chrome, and often follows suit the luxury cars^[4]. According to Iolanda Ramos, 'noir ambience' is an element of dieselpunk^[2].

Dieselpunk can be divided into two primary themes: Ottensian and Piecraftian^[2]. 'Piecraftian' focuses on the aesthetics of the world wars and speculates on how human culture could theoretically cease to evolve due to constant warfare^[2]. This theme continues the aesthetics of the diesel era into later periods by describing a world where survival is placed above aesthetical evolution^[2]. 'Ottensian' focuses on a setting where the decadent aesthetics and utopian philosophies of the American Roaring Twenties continued to evolve unhindered by war or economic collapse^[2]. Ottensian dieselpunk fiction is primarily concerned with a positive vision of technology and incorporates 'an enthusiasm for the predictions about the future'^[2].

Several artists have contributed significantly to the dieselpunk movement. Shunya Yamashita's work, I Can't Explain, is considered a definitive example of dieselpunk art^[2]. Kow Yokoyama is another prominent artist known for his Maschinen Krieger figurine series^[2]. Other notable artists include Alexey Lipatov, Stefan Prohaczka, Keith Thompson, Rob Schwager, and Sam Van Olffen^[2]. In Russia, Waldemar Kazak, known for dystopian dieselpunk art, is appreciated by the dieselpunk community^[7].

Dieselpunk aesthetics have been applied in numerous media. Fritz Lang's Metropolis (1927) exemplifies the genre’s style and technology with large factories and pumping machinery, emphasized by German Expressionism^[1]. Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow showcases aerial dogfights amidst towering cityscapes^[8]. The BioShock games are set in an alternate Earth in which fantastical cities exist in the sky and underwater utilizing Art Deco and Streamline Moderne styles^[4]. The film The Rocketeer takes the popular Art Deco style as inspiration for character, vehicle, and set design^[4].

The internet has played an important role in the development of dieselpunk^[2]. Prominent online communities include Dieselpunks and Never Was Lounge^[2]. Online magazines dedicated to the genre include Dieselpunk Encyclopedia, Dizelpanki, The Flying Fortress, Never Was and Vintage Future^[2]. DeviantArt is known as a mixed bag of different art styles with detailed digital drawings^[5]. ArtStation is a top-notch and very professional site in the digital art world^[5].

Connecting today's technology with yesterday's aesthetic requires a do-it-yourself attitude, with many people interested in the dieselpunk movement are artists of one kind or another^[4]. To build a good dieselpunk project, learning about the military, architectural, and artistic styles prevalent during the 1920s to 1950s is key to designing a compelling piece of dieselpunk art^[4]. Dieselpunk costumes tend to be less reliant on gadgets and gizmos than those you'll find in the steampunk movement^[4].