Analyzing the Intrinsic Quality of Retrofuturism

Predicting the future has been a common act of society since our most primitive times. Humans tend to wonder about what the coming years will hold, looking to the future as an optimistic opportunity and a refreshing way to distract themselves from the controversial modern-day sphere. From this, a multitude of expression tactics have arisen. Among these styles of representation, “Retrofuturism” has utilized art to predict future technology.

Mostly prominent in the ’60s and ’70s, Retrofuturism visualized predictions of upcoming decades. Defined as a “creative movement,” Retrofuturism serves as an exciting way to look forward to the future and provides a certain artistic nostalgia. The color scheme is generally relatively light instead of the dark theme of “dystopian” imagery. The two are easily distinguished, with Dystopian art representing the “dark side” of future technology, and Retrofuturism tends to share optimistic imagery of later years. 

The perspective of Retrofuturism is an interesting one. Looking back on our current period predictions and comparing it to what we ended up carries a particular artistic value. 

In an example piece by popular retro artist Syd Mead, society is represented in a relatively dry backdrop, with a Moss-Cantina esque vibe, showcasing citizens wearing a multitude of strange clothing such as helmets and capes. The main star is the “car,” an extremely long vehicle with two wheels, a seemingly autonomous driver system, and a Tron Bike sort of theme to bring it all together. Looking at this piece, the depiction is exceptionally different from our current way of life. However, the value comes from us knowing that people believed in such a future. 

                                                    The Art of Syd Mead

In another example from Syd, a purple-tinted picture depicts a typical futuristic social gathering. The first aspect of notation is an exciting choice of clothing. Both men wear leather jackets and sleek haircuts alongside hip sunglasses, with the topic of conversation seeming to revolve around the centerpiece of this picture, the car. Once again, Syd Mead emphasizes the car, with this vehicle looking like a small jet with wheels. The color scheme is light, with a seemingly artificial tropical backdrop that sports unidentified exotic animals. 

                                The Movie Art of Syd Mead: Visual Futurist 

Insert Picture #2:  The Movie Art of Syd Mead: Visual Futurist 

Most Retrofuturism provides an optimistic outlook on the future and gives consumers the possibility to look forward to a later date. However, the art style’s primary purpose is to look back on past perceptions of modern-day technology. Comparing the prediction to the modern climate acts as an exciting benchmark for analysis and works as a fun tool for studying past art trends. Finally, the art itself is impressive even without historical comparison. The “light” theme is fun to look at and serves as a cool piece of prediction for tech lovers and futurists.