{"id":7342,"date":"2015-09-27T15:31:09","date_gmt":"2015-09-27T19:31:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/posturemag.com\/online\/?p=7342"},"modified":"2015-10-08T17:11:22","modified_gmt":"2015-10-08T21:11:22","slug":"understanding-the-punks-of-the-internet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/posturemag.com\/online\/understanding-the-punks-of-the-internet\/","title":{"rendered":"Understanding The Punks Of The Internet"},"content":{"rendered":"

“In a [dystopic] world where the human body is constantly threatened and invaded, this medium is often used to curate an entire identity where the human becomes a walking statement and work of art in and of themself.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Cyberart is a relatively new genre that describes work of art generated with the assistance of computer software and hardware (not to be confused with Internet Art<\/em> which is art created solely for collaboration with the world wide web as a statement of liberation from the confines of the traditional gallery).<\/p>\n

The genre of Cyberart can be thought of today an as term overarching a plethora of subcultures that emerged from the ideology of the sub-genre of 1980s science fiction called Cyberpunk. Cyberpunk has a history that became popular when a number of authors and filmmakers in the West were speculating about the future advancement of technology and its inevitable impact on society. Remember Blade Runner?<\/a> The Matrix?<\/a> Described by literary critic Fredric Jameson<\/a> as the “supreme literary expression if not of postmodernism, then of late capitalism itself,” Cyberpunk is notably a tribute to the diminishing power of the government and the rising domination of corporations and their use of technology as a means to attain the center of power in all facets of the human existence. Eventually the themes explored in the films and novels of Cyberpunk spread to other art forms such as music and fashion and became commonly featured in anime and manga throughout the 90s.<\/p>\n

Side Note: Japanese Cyberpunk also began in the 80s, but differs in its representation as it often features the protagonist going through monstrous, incomprehensible metamorphoses in an industrial setting. “Many of these films have scenes that fall into the experimental film genre; they often involve purely abstract or visual sequences that may or may not relate to the characters and plot. Recurring themes include: mutation, technology, dehumanization, repression and sexual deviance.” [via Midnight Eye<\/a>] The genre is primarily defined by the movie Tetsuo: The Iron Man<\/a>. <\/em><\/p>\n

In the 21st century we do not have to speculate how technology will impact our lives — we live that reality daily, and we know it will continue to grow until all forms of manual labor are considered archaic. As we moved into the 00s Cyberart took a turn toward a nostalgia for 90s internet culture when us kids were just embarking on the large unknown of the internet, AOL chat rooms, and Ask Jeeves. 20-something Cyberartists of today have much in common with 80s Cyberpunk authors and filmmakers as they both function within an ideology that is founded upon the use of mockery, exaggeration, and the absurd.<\/p>\n

In a [dystopic] world where the human body is constantly threatened and invaded, this medium is often used to curate an entire identity where the human becomes a walking statement and work of art in and of themself.<\/p>\n

For your enjoyment below are some examples of imagery and music pertaining to the various subcultures of this movement. You will notice that subgenres will often cross pollinate and utilize multiple hashtags in their chosen social media platforms — there is no template for how to participate in the dialogue.<\/p>\n

**Please note**<\/em><\/p>\n

— Debates often surround the exact sound of a subgenre, please do some further research there if you’re interested.
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— This is not a definitive final list and I narrowed in to focus in on those who heavily utilize the internet and social media as their medium. There are way more subgenres that emerged from Cyberpunk such as Steampunk, Biopunk, Dieselpunk, and Nanopunk. However, if you think I missed one that is crucial to this article and would like to see it in this list please feel free to email me at winter@posturemag.com.<\/em><\/p>\n

#Cyberpunk<\/h3>\n
\"Bladerunner\"<\/a>
Blade Runner Film Still (1982)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Blade<\/a>
Blade Runner Film Still<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\"CB2\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Ghost<\/a>
Anime Science-Fiction, Ghost in a Shell (1995)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

#Cybergoth<\/h3>\n

Fashion-wise Cybergoths are heavily influenced by Cyberpunks, but unlike a traditional ‘goths,’ Cybergoths listen to electronic music known as Noise. An obsessive raver with a fascination of glowing objects, they tend to wear a lot of UV reactive clothing and hairstyles are generally pretty extreme with bright colour dreadlocks and mohawks being the most common. They often wear cybergoggles on forehead, multiple accessories, and huge platform boots.<\/p>\n

“While the term ‘Cybergoth’ was coined in 1988 in the United Kingdom, by Games Workshop<\/a>, for their roleplaying game Dark Future<\/a><\/i>, the fashion style did not emerge until a decade later. Valerie Steele<\/a> quotes Julia Borden, who defines cybergoth as combining elements of industrial aesthetics<\/a> with a style associated with “Gravers” (Gothic ravers).” [via Streettech.com<\/a> & Yale University Press]<\/em><\/p>\n