Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with aesthetic

Name This Aesthetic

CitrusFreak12 — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 11:04:07 -0800

Is there a name or term for the aesthetic these blogs contain? I've realized that there is a definite theme and aesthetic quality in a lot of the blogs I read. But when trying to relate this to a friend yesterday, I realized I can't seem to figure out what it is or even quite how to describe it.

It bothers me even more because this aesthetic is very similar to things I('d like to) wear, things I collect, how I decorate areas in my room, etc, which is likely why I read them in the first place.

It's not just the vintage stuff, but that is a large part. There's a lot of overlap between them in modern things as well, and I think this combination of the two is rather important.

So what's the name for this aesthetic, and how can I describe/define it? And as a side question, are there blogs/resources where I can find more of the same?

The blogs are as follows:
A Continuous Lean
The Material Review (a tumblr blog by the same guy who does A Continuous Lean)
A Time to Get
Cold Splinters
Secret Forts
Yimmys Yayo (Consider this one NSFW, for the most part. All photos, and a higher concentration of nudity as of late. But the aesthetic is still there though, perhaps to a lesser extent than those linked above)

Beautiful, simple iPhone games

fiercecupcake — Mon, 04 May 2009 10:48:29 -0800

I love Ferry Halim's Orisinal games. What are some games for the iPhone with a similar beautiful aesthetic and simple gameplay? Bonus points, as always, for free or cheap.

What are your favorite novels from an aesthetic/writing style point of view?

archagon — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 09:19:33 -0800

What are your favorite novels from an aesthetic/writing style point of view? I'm aware of this thread, but it seems more specific than my question. (Perhaps not?)

Do any nation societies for Art & Technology exist in the US?

Black_Umbrella — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 10:10:25 -0800

Are there any large (national) Art & Technology societies in the US? I am having a hard time digging up information about Art & Technology societies in the US. Most that I find are localized with a school or program, none that have national appeal.

Ultimately, I am looking to buy mailing lists or place advertisements with these specialized organizations. I am hoping to find something like the American Philosophical Association (APA) or Society for the History of Technology (SHOT). But so far I have had zero luck.

Can anyone help?

Personality-Based Design/Arts/Fashion Blogging - new trend?

divabat — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 00:02:05 -0800

Is there a specific term/genre that defines bloggers such as Gala Darling, Nubby Twiglet, Queen Gilda, Doe Deere, This is Star, and Agent Lover? Has anyone tracked this? I've noticed a few of those sort of blogs recently, sharing similar things in terms of aesthetics and content:

* Young female, using a glamorous pen name
* A mix between personal life, recommendations of products/people, and how-tos based on everyday life (such as How To Be Fabulous)
* Plenty on design, fashion, style, culture, trends
* Blogger likely to be an artist or other creative person
* Promotes the blogger itself as a brand
* "Things I Love Tuesday" (possibly started by one of those bloggers)
* Similar layouts

A few of these blogs cross-link to each other, but other than that I don't see anything that suggests they're part of a collective or tight group of friends. Rather, it seems to be a growing sub-trend of blogging, and I was wondering if anyone else had noticed this and/or done some research on these blogs.

They're like camgirls in the sense that there's quite a bit of voyeurism into their personal lives, but it's not constant. They're seen as icons and inspiration, and have enough followers to even sell products with their branding (AFAIK Gala Darling lives on Adsense income). When I was a teen, random-content-heavy personal sites, often with vector illustrations, were the Big Thing; this seems like an outgrowth of that.

Is there a name for this? Does anyone else fit this aesthetic?

question about aesthetic of gas fireplace

seekingsimplicity — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 19:15:35 -0800

Should I take out my gas fireplace insert? My DH and I put a gas fireplace in our 1920's craftsman bungalow about 10 years ago. It cost approx $2000. I wonder now if we should remove it so we can have a real fire in the fireplace.

It seems the aesthetic of the gas fireplace is not as good as a real fire.

Also, whenever we use the gas fireplace (which is on the main floor) our upstairs master bdroom is freezing. This same thing happened when we used the "real fireplace" before we put the insert in.

Should I just leave the gas one in? or are gas fireplaces soo ugly that it would look much better without it? Ours is an older model that has a fan (too loud) on it.

My DH likes building a fire, but when he is not home I do not know if I would go to the trouble of building a real fire.

What would you do?