Medievalcore
I'm plagued by checkered flags and illuminated manuscripts. I couldn't be happier.
I suppose my obsession with modern-day medieval aesthetics began a few weeks ago with Teenage Engineering releasing the “world's first medieval electronic instrument;" a beautifully designed synthesizer named EP-1320 medieval boasts haunting sounds such as hurdy-gurdy and Gregorian chant samples. At the time, this felt like a logical conclusion to on an ongoing cultural fascination with 1000 A.D. and I wound up on a Twitter thread, communally nerding out on this trend.
EP-1320 medieval marketing evokes hipster King Arthur, with demure linen-clad models standing in a ring of fire, bare feet cycling in the sky. A friend described Teenage Engineering’s brand as “Supreme for synthesizers,” impeccable branding with relatively standard functionality (music geeks, in my experience, seem to be the most pedantic about equipment.)
Western culture, it seems, is going through a goth(ic) phase.
Is it the draw of magical thinking of the Middle Ages? Or a wistfulness for simpler times? One commenter postulated that it was a combination of Renaissance Fair nostalgia and an underground resurgence of integralism – a key tenant of Project 2025, which has certainly become top of mind for Americans as of late. The original poster of this particular Twitter thread also noted that jestercore and blackletter/gothic fonts “feel like a natural evolution of some of the funkier display type.” See: Harley Quinn.
The marketing for EP-1320 medieval has an ominous, catchy beat luring in the background. I found myself wondering if I needed gear that, to the musically uninspired (me), is practically useless. The synthesizer, simply put, is extremely vibey. Now, I can’t stop seeing medieval branding everywhere.
Whether its in rejection of the monastic greige tidal wave that KimYe has proselytized or Marie Kondo-esque minimalism, medievalcore seems a gold-plated response that’s being embraced by artists and designers alike right now.
Earlier this year, Darren Mooney from the Irish Independent pointed out that the success of Dune: Part Two “might hint at a deeper resonance to these more cynical takes on the medieval setting.” If, like most folks, you’re addicted to the news, life can feel a little bleak as we stare down a particularly contentious election in the states.
To this impending doom I to you the gothic Feminists of Gen Z: Chappell Roan and The Last Dinner Party. It’s a reclaiming of the patriarchal and religious visuals of the Middle Ages (though often modernized to provide more comfortable garb). It’s fun and compelling to watch an oft-romanticized aesthetic reclaimed by women who sing about generational trauma and femininomenons. Do you feel like a man when I can't talk back?/Do you want me or do you want control?/Failure to commit to the role, I admit
Dark Age aesthetics feel inherently antiestablishment and punkish, and combined with digital artistry creates some truly spectacular graphics. Thy Slaughter, the musical project between A.G. Cook and EASYFUN (both of Charli xcx Brat fame and successful in their own right) have spun up a special moment in time c/o the now sunsetting PC Music.
Undeniable bops like Immortal and Bronze harness a very specific ye olde digital visual style seems to reflect a seismic evolution in pop/hyperpop music. Thy Slaughter’s imagery for the band is graphic and nostalgic to ‘90s animations, with a Dazed article going so far as to write a fictitious quest to find the “ancient” and “noble” the band.
I desire an reappropriation of this aesthetic. I don’t want to embody a religious ideology I strongly do not subscribe to, yet I find myself delighted by the results of bringing icons of the past to the present. I think it’s time for a new conceptual definition of the Middle Age aesthetic in 2024: expressive, otherworldly, and kind of spunky.
Available Artwork
Lou Benesch is a French artist and illustrator heavily inspired by nature and folk tales, creating striking watercolors and drawing. Mystical, playful and vibrant, Benesch seems to have found a balance in beautifully composed pieces that indulge a sense of magical thinking. She’s also created artwork for Alémais and Printemps Haussmann in heavnely patterns and drawings.
Andrew Carr has been one of my best kept secrets for moody abstract artworks. Deeply ethereal and evocative, Carr’s work is instantly recognizable on my feed; powerful abstract landscapes seem to bleed into forgotten figures. He’s an artist’s artist - and above all works to create a nostalgic mood and feeling. Are we in a dream? A thundering sunset? Cataclysmic figures? I suppose its up to you to determine where and how you see yourself in these works.
Emily Edelman’s Covenant and Illuminated Series are a marriage of digital and archaic in the best way. Covenant (selections included below) draws inspiration from illuminated manuscripts, creating new letterforms using typography from the Middle Ages ornately reimagined digitally. Covenant is a striking practice in interdisciplinary iconography with intricate and borderline illegible letter and figures. Her work is so cool. As a force in the digital art space, Edelman has spent the past decade rising as a major online creative of note.
Tasty morsels for your castle
