A More Regressive Future

Representations of “the future” tend to be false. The very nature of depicting “the future” is not to mention impossible but also foolish, because no one can accurately know what the future will look like. This is not to say that images and depictions of the future are irrelevant. Depictions of the future are usually defined by the period in which the depiction was conceived.

I have depicted my own vision of a future, in which the earth is literally a machine and its inhabitants are literally living in an environment which is machinelike. The aesthetic I have used is that of steampunk, rather than displaying high-tech electronics (ex. printed circuit boards) I use brass cogs, bicycle chain, pistons, and physical industrial machinery, implying that the world (ie. capitalism) is a “well oiled machine”. The use of stream era iconography also implies a regression in technology.I also play on the idea of urban decay. Images of industrialization, and automation have be conveyed with repetition.

This work was created with the aspect of 4800 px by 6000 px at 300 dpi and made / designed for print, you can see a photograph of the finished print here.