VAPORWAVE Topoi
VAPORWAVE art tends to be repetitive
and relies on certain elements
that provide the right aesthetic
for the viewer.
Each common topic of VAPORWAVE
art hearkens the viewer back
to the 1980s , 1990s and early 2000s,
when widespread computer
usage and virtual reality
grew in popularity and
Japanese technology
threatened to take over
the Western world.
Palm Trees
Greco-Roman Statues
The use of these statues
and busts either comes
from late 1980s interior
design kitsch (1),
seapunk (2), or else
from the imitation of
Helios from the
Colossus of Rhodes.
This sculpture is
featured onthe
the album cover of
"Floral Shoppe" (2011),
by Macintosh Plus
(also known as Vektroid,
a Portland, Oregon
based producer). (3)
"Floral Shoppe" is
universally considered
to be the most
famous vaporwave
release and to some
fans, it's also
the best.
https://www.reddit.com/r/Vaporwave/comments/33w9uw/use_of_grecoroman_statues/
1980s and 1990s Anime
Sega and Nintendo Game Consoles
Japanese Kanji, Hiragana, and Katakana
Unicode Characters
These themes stem
from the late
1980s and early
1990s Western
preoccupation
with Japan as
an emerging superpower
that would
overtake the West.
Unicode text is
used to represent
the Western
alphabet on Japanese
computers.
Early 2000s Computer Graphics
Computers in Foliage and Water
Bodies of Water
Offices with Plants
Textual Interaction with Windows GUI and Google Predictive Search
Corporate Logos
Shopping Malls
Pastels
-
NOTE:
All translations were made using
Google. “Google Translate.” Google. Google. N.d. Web. < https://translate.google.com/ >.
All Unicode formatting was made with
Martin. “Generator For Fullwidth Characters.” Linkstrasse. Wordpress. 26 August 2011. Web. < http://www.linkstrasse.de/en/%EF%BD%86%EF%BD%95%EF%BD%8C%EF%BD%8C%EF%BD%97%EF%BD%89%EF%BD%84%EF%BD%94%EF%BD%88%EF%BC%8D%EF%BD%83%EF%BD%8F%EF%BD%8E%EF%BD%96%EF%BD%85%EF%BD%92%EF%BD%94%EF%BD%85%EF%BD%92 >.
All Windows style popup images were made with
Atom Smasher. “Make your own Error Message.” Atom Smasher’s Error Message Generator. Atom Smasher. N.d. Web. < http://atom.smasher.org/error/ >.
References from top to bottom:
vapor-wave. “pastel.wav.” Deviant Art. Deviant Art. 2015-2016. Online image. < http://vapor-wave.deviantart.com/art/pastel-wav-577092536 >.
Blank Bot. “B:/ Start Up.” Youtube. Youtube. 12 November 2012. Online video clip.
Dubkingston. “BEER ON THE RUG - 札幌コンテンポラリー - 03 ODYSSEUSこう岩寺「OUTDOOR MALL」.” Youtube. Youtube. 1 August 2013. Online video clip.
ramiendoche. “MACINTOSH PLUS - リサフランク420 / 現代のコンピュー.” Youtube. Youtube. 14 February 2012. Online video clip.