French photographer and animator Nicolas Monterrat creates something new out of things that already exist and, in some cases, have existed for many years. He takes vintage photos from time periods across history and animates them, turning them into surreal, moving images that make us look at our assumed reality anew.
Using scanned images from magazines, archives, and the Internet, as well as his iPhone and a host of digital editing software, Monterrat turns these otherwise static images into clever animations. His additions range from the irreverent and cheeky to the hypnotically beautiful, and everything in between.
Some of the photos he uses are quite old, so the addition of animation seems all the more jarring and hilarious.
Some are relatively modern.
Some photos have their animations created by simply manipulating what’s already there.
These surreal, dreamlike additions to what would otherwise be normal photos create the sense of a parallel world. If photographs are a record of our world, then Monterrat’s work hints at a fantastical realm where people can swim in galaxies and create spinning rainbow flames. The combination of the very real and the unreal makes for a strangely satisfying viewing experience.
Even famous photographs aren’t safe from Monterrat’s reinterpretations.
This photo of a rocket engine testing facility in Cleveland was taken in 1962. As you can see, it’s received a dreamy Monterrat treatment.
The original photo here was taken by Annie Leibovitz, and shows Elvis Presley’s television in Graceland.
And it’s not just photos! This painting has also been given a cheeky makeover.
(via Colossal)
These photos are just a handful of Monterrat’s work. His other animations include modern photos, abstract animations, and more. You can see it all on his Tumblr, aptly titled Un gif dans ta gueule (“a .gif in the mouth”), as well as on his Behance and Ello pages.
