When Jamie xx dropped the “Gosh” music video last spring, right before releasing his debut album In Colour, the world was treated to a remarkable new 3D animation talent, Erik Wernquist. Slowly, and almost imperceptibly, Wernquist moved his virtual camera Kubrick-style toward a distant alien moon, then placed it in orbit to reveal surface details like land, water and an intelligent species’ structures.
For his latest music video for electronic artist OVERWERK’s “Winter,” which premieres today on The Creators Project, Wernquist again explores an alien landscape. This time he collaborated with OVERWERK (a.k.a., Edmond Huszar), who has recently taught himself 3D graphic design.
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On this alien planet, Wernquist’s virtual camera floats over the surface of a labyrinthine cubic world made of illuminated, self-assembling cubes, some of which glow and reveal patterns that sync with OVERWERK’s beats and synth notes. It seems as if the cube world exists within a planet’s system, but Huszar and Wernquist explore the idea of worlds within worlds, so the exact nature of this alien reality is left rather open-ended.
“A year ago I saw Erik’s short film Wanderers—his perspective and style really resonated with me,” Huszar tells The Creators Project. “I had been bouncing around some video concepts for a long time but was waiting to cross paths with someone who understood my vision.”
Soon after, Huszar and Wernquist met in Los Angeles, and got on famously. After realizing they shared many of the same influences and interests, the two brainstormed concepts, with Wernquist revealing his desire to explore some new paths. Huszar, for his part, wanted to empower his collaborator’s creativity.
“The ‘Winter’ video doesn’t have a conventional narrative, but the visual language definitely helps emphasize the story of the song,” Huszar says. “‘Winter’ is more of a mood, a vibe, that will resonate with everyone differently. I prefer art that is more ambiguous, because it leaves more room for the observer’s imagination.”
“Art doesn’t exist in a vacuum—perception is inherently subjective and the art itself is always combined with thoughts and experiences of the perceiver,” he adds. “Aside from the ideological allegories I want to share, I hope the song and video can temporarily transport the viewer to a cool mental space that inspires them.”
Click here to see more of Erik Wernquist’s work.
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