Nostalgia isn’t simply something that remains in our past. Creators like artists, game designers and fashion designers can actually transform nostalgia into something entirely new through the use of aesthetics.

Aesthetics, often spelled out as A E S T H E T I C S, is a term that’s a little hard to describe. It’s a combination between worldbuilding and genre, each aesthetic having a strong visual and auditory signature. It can be applied to any medium, though as we’ll discuss, some mediums showcase certain aesthetics better than others.

The best way to understand aesthetics is to dive right in, experiencing the aesthetic for yourself. In lieu of that, I’ll do my best here to describe some of these aesthetics to you.

The “Waves” – Vaporwave and Synthwave

Vaporwave

Vaporwave is an aesthetic that simply oozes the ‘90s, though it was actually created in the early 2010s. It’s actually a bit of a nostalgia scene for both eras since there’s a lot of internet culture from the past decade included.

In fact, this aesthetic isn’t meant to be taken 100% seriously. It embraces its ironic status, juxtaposing drug and memes with heavy anti-capitalism themes.

Retro technological glitches are a staple of Vaporwave. It often uses muddled colours, screen flickering and even those blurry lines you get when you fast forward a VCR.

There’s a lot of old pop culture used in Vaporwave, like Sailor Moon and The Simpsons — because of the anti-consumerism message behind this aesthetic, brands and commercials are used a lot as well. Jingles and elevator music are often used, remixed ironically to riff upon capitalism.

Synthwave

There are other types of “waves” as well, from Retrowave and Chillwave to the one we’ll discuss here — Synthwave.

Synthwave is one of the more well known “waves”, having a few key differences to Vaporwave.

1. Synthwave embraces the ‘80s over the ‘90s. The lines between the two aesthetics are often blurred, however, so ‘90s Synthwave exists.

2. Far less memes!

3. It often goes for a crisper neon colour scheme, while losing some of the blurring effects that Vaporwave takes advantage of.

4. Synthwave is far less cynical, having a more positive, earnest outlook towards mass consumerism.

5. The music typically doesn’t use jingles, going instead for a smoother electronic sound.

I truly love both Vaporwave and Synthwave. Even though I’m a ‘90s child and clearly have a soft spot for this form of nostalgia, aesthetics aren’t limited to just the past few decades.

The “Punks” – Steampunk and Cyberpunk

Steampunk

Let us go all the way back to the 1880s. Well technically 1837-1901 – the Victorian era. Steampunk innovates upon the distant past, pairing modern inventions and machinery with steam power and Victorian flair. And lots and lots of gears.

Interestingly enough, Steampunk doesn’t have a strong musical presence like the other aesthetics on this list. While there are songs labelled as Steampunk, the main auditory elements of the aesthetic are mechanical sounds – gears turning, tools clanging, steam whistling.

This makes sense when you consider that Steampunk was originally a science fiction subgenre before evolving into a full-blown aesthetic, with popular TV and movies, fashion and video games embracing its whimsy.

Steampunk is an aesthetic that asks us many questions. What would society be if the Victorian era never ended? What kind of progress could we as the human race make with only steam power? The answers to these questions are at the crux of the Steampunk aesthetic.

Cyberpunk

Set in the future, Cyberpunk mixes high tech with dark themes — alcohol/drug abuse, poverty and cynical takes on capitalism. It embraces its dystopian nature. It crawls through the underbelly of this future society, and in doing so, making poignant commentary on society today.

Cyberpunk is also inspired by the 1980s – embracing the neon colours much like Synthwave but set in a dark moody cityscape. Using punk inspired electronic beats, Cyberpunk creates a slightly dated, grungier version of what we once thought was the future.

One of the best ways to experience Cyberpunk is through video games. It is prime for dark storytelling, which accompanied by strong visual signatures and electronic music creates a wonderful gaming experience.

Really though, all of these aesthetics have great video games. I could easily write another blog just on video games with strong aesthetics!

Overall, I had a bunch of fun covering these aesthetics. The potential for creativity and self expression are truly endless with aesthetics. They are a powerful way to not only unlock, but actually evolve nostalgia into new art forms.

If you’re still curious about aesthetics or want to learn more about aesthetics in general, the Aesthetics Wiki is a great user created space to explore.

Emma Cayen

Emma is in her final year in the Professional Writing program at Algonquin. Looking forward to her future in the writing world, she even finds herself dreaming of plot bunnies in her sleep. Emma also enjoys beating her sister at a good game of Mario Party, well as spending time with her beloved cat George.