Political

This category encompasses aesthetics that are closely linked to a specific political movement or ideology, regardless of its scope or position on the political spectrum. Please note not all aesthetics included in this category are controversial, and the Aesthetics Wiki does not encourage or promote any political ideal.

This includes but is not limited to:

Socio-Cultural Movements[]

• Counterculture - aesthetics or movements that actively oppose the values and beliefs of mainstream society (often called the "status quo"). They may include a Do-It-Yourself ethos, anti-consumerism, and social critique. Examples include Punk or Grunge.
• Environmentalist - aesthetics or movements advocating for environmental protection, sustainability, and the use of renewable resources. They are typically focused on nature and eco-conscious choices. Examples include Solarpunk or Folk Punk.
• Anti-Consumerist - aesthetics or movements critical of excessive consumption. This can be represented in diverse and completely different forms of art, ranging from Minimalism's philosophy based on minimal consumption to Vaporwave's satirical graphics and the often self-contradicting art of Superflat.
• Feminist - aesthetics or movements advocating for women's rights and challenging gender stereotypes. Examples include Riot Grrrl, Kinderwhore or Yé-yé.
• Pacifist - aesthetics or movements that promote peace and non-violence. Individuals who follow these movements might protest against ongoing wars. Examples include Hippies, Doomers or Bohemian.
• Anti-Racist - aesthetics or movements that challenge colorism and support the empowerment of marginalized racial groups. They may also include an anti-colonial or post-colonial attitude. Examples include Afrofuturism and Indigenous Futurism.
• LGBTQ+ Rights - aesthetics or movements fighting for the rights of LGBTQ+ individuals and their representation. Examples include Voidpunk or Queercore.
• Disability Rights - aesthetics or movements supporting the rights of disabled individuals and their representation. Examples include Changelingcore and Cripplepunk.
• Cultural Revival - aesthetics or movements based around revitalizing and reclaiming an endangered culture or language. They may have political undertones of autonomy and self-determination for a specific ethnic group, rather than the typical right-wing form of nationalism. Examples include Neo-Celtic.

Political Ideologies[]

• Nationalist - aesthetics or movements centering on nation-building or the creation of national identity. This does not necessarily encompass cultural aesthetics. Examples include Romantic Nationalism.
• Conservative - aesthetics or movements influenced by conservativism. They may emphasize traditional values like religion, family, and estabilished social norms. Examples include Sigma or 50s Suburbia.
• Regionalist - aesthetics or movements based around reclaiming the culture of a region within a larger state. Politically, they may advocate for the autonomy and self-determination of a region, as well as the revival of an endangered or minoritary language. Examples would include Modernisme (Catalonia), Renovador Movement (Galicia) or Seiz Breur (Brittany).
• Capitalist - a quite hard-to-define category, it encompasses aesthetics and movements tied to the influence of capitalism, materialism, and consumerism. It can be really diverse, but some examples include Pop Art, Corporate Memphis, Yuppies and Boujee. Obviously, there are so much more aesthetics that could be considered "capitalist" or "consumerist", but they won't be included in this category because it's a very common general criticism of aesthetics and would defeat the purpose of this category.
• Anarchist - aesthetics or movements relating to anarchist philosophy and anti-authoritarianism. They may advocate for the abolition of hierarchical power structures and the creation of self-governing societies. Examples include Punk and Basque Radical Rock.
• Extremist - aesthetics or movements associated with radical political movements (such as nazism, fascism, communism or neo-nazism). It should be noted the Aesthetics Wiki does not endorse or condone any of these ideologies, and we only aim to document their impact on aesthetics. For more information on how radical ideologies can correlate to visual aesthetics, see "Aestheticization of Politics" on Wikipedia.

Other Politically-Charged Topics[]

• Social Commentary - aesthetics or movements that use art and music to critique social issues, sometimes from a satirical point of view. Examples include Vaporwave, Cyberpunk and Caricaturism.
• Soviet - aesthetics or movements drawing inspiration from the Soviet Union and communism, but not necessarily in a propagandistic way. Examples include Soviet Nostalgia and Sovietwave.
• Conspiracy Theories - aesthetics or movements rooted in conspiracy theories, generally expressing distrust for authority and mainstream culture. Examples include Hyperborean.
• Organized Crime - aesthetics romanticizing or glamorizing criminal organizations and their activities. Examples include Italian Mafia, Yakuza and Cartelcore.
• Recent History - aesthetics or movements referencing recent historical events with ongoing political or social impact. Examples include Balkan Violence Tumblr, with its references to the Yugoslav Wars.
• Propaganda - aesthetics or movements with the purpose to promote a particular ideology or agenda. Symbolism and emotion are used to convey this. Examples include Heroic Realism.
• Military - aesthetics or movements relating to military organizations, conflicts, and war. Can range from glorification to critique. Examples include Military and PSY-OP Girl.
• Terrorist - aesthetics or movements inspired by the iconography and fashion associated with terrorism. Examples include Terrorwave and Necrotrap.
• Involuntary Celibacy - online subcultures relating to the concept of "being unable to find a romantic partner despite desiring one", including incels, femcels and waif. This is included in this category because it often overlaps with sexism and misogynistic extremism.