Flights of Fancy and Imagination – What is Steampunk?
Posted March 20, 2025
A conversation with Steampunk enthusiast Renee Roush
When Artistic Director Tom Morgan got the inspiration to present a steampunk-themed concert, he was in the “audience” at a wedding, and his imagination took flight, conjuring up ideas for music and costumes and what the artistic journey would look like.
But what is Steampunk exactly? A little internet research yielded this explanation: Steampunk is a retro-futuristic aesthetic that blends Victorian-era fashion, technology, and sensibilities with imaginative, often anachronistic inventions—think airships, clockwork automatons, and steam-powered contraptions. It’s rooted in 19th-century industrialism but infused with speculative fiction, drawing from authors like Jules Verne and H.G. Wells. The genre often juxtaposes historical realism with fantastical elements, creating a world where innovation and adventure coexist in ways that never quite were but could have been. Steampunk embraces the fashion, manners, and architecture of the Victorian era, infusing stories with corsets, top hats, gas lamps, and ornate Victorian buildings and creating a rich historical backdrop that contrasts with advanced technology.
Now Tom’s vision is coming to fruition in Science/Fantasy, and the concert has grabbed the attention not only of Ars Nova fans, but of steampunk fans across the metro area. We’ve been in touch with myriad organizations in the thriving steampunk community, and Ars Nova Communications Coordinator Andrea Weidemann had the chance to talk with Renee Roush to learn more about her fascination with steampunk.
Andrea Weidemann: What calls you to the Victorian/Steampunk style? Is there any lore behind it, any events you’ve attended? What about it feels like you?
Renee Roush: A little on my steampunk history and “resume”: I’ve been a part of steampunk since 2015. I’ve attended events with the Steampunk Society of Nebraska, the Denver Victorian and Steampunk Society, the Victorian Society of Colorado, and Teslacon. I’ve won awards in steampunk costume contests, presented as a panelist at steampunk conventions, and modeled in steampunk fashion shows. I adore the elegance, the creativity, and the marriage of quirkiness and refinement in steampunk. My favorite memory is sitting in the tea room at my first steampunk convention and gazing at the kaleidoscope of beautiful costumes, fanciful hats, perfectly coiffed hair, curled moustaches, delicate china, and unbridled imagination. I felt transported into another world.
AW: You make it sound awesome! How did you first get into the Victorian/steampunk aesthetic?
RR: I started off in the renaissance festival community. Dressing up in costume was my absolute favorite thing. I loved to create art in a costume piece and then get to dwell at the center of it while other people appreciated it. I was introduced to steampunk through a friend in the renfaire (renaissance faire) community and fell in love with it.
AW: If you had to describe your personal take on steampunk/Victorian style in a few words, what would they be?
RR: I love using Victorian fashion as a starting point and building on it with imaginative makeup, accessories, and themes. For instance–how about a peacock-inspired dealer of poisons? What about a mermaid captured and exhibited by a steampunk carnival barker?
AW: Super creative! If you could time-travel back to the Victorian era (or a steampunk-inspired version of it), what’s the first thing you’d do?
RR: I would find a little cafe, sit down at a sunny window, order tea, and people-watch.
AW: What does an alternate world with a perfect steampunk aesthetic look like?
RR: It looks like all the elegance and sumptuousness that we picture in an ideal version of the Victorian Era, augmented by enlightened ideas and technology that is fantastical in both function and aesthetics.
AW: If I wanted to start putting together my own steampunk look, how would you recommend I start?
RR: The place I recommend is Disguises Costume Shop on Colfax in Denver. They have lots to offer, and it’s a really fun place to visit. A lot of steampunks and victorians make their own garb, though, and some people upcycle things they find in thrift stores. It’s all about your imagination!
AW: Are there any books, movies, or historical figures that inspire your love for this aesthetic?
RR: I’ll admit, I’m a sucker for Nancy Campbell Allen’s Steampunk series.
AW: Cool! I’ll have to look her up!
You won’t want to miss this exciting concert that pushes boundaries with ethereal harmonies and mechanistic minimalism, featuring music by Victorian-era composers and modern visionaries. Join Ars Nova Singers for a grand musical voyage through time with Science/Fantasy, April 4, 5, and 6. Click here for more information and to buy tickets.