Andréa Philippon｜Nature, machinery and computer: the boundless creation of French multi field digital artists
theFOUND Virtual Art Center this TALK with Andréa phillippon, a 3D digital art designer and animation director from France. He studied graphic design and visual design in Switzerland and now based in Lausanne. "Nature, machinery and computer" are the main elements of his creation. Andréa phillippon tries to achieve all his goals by integrating them into his business or personal work.
Andréa phillippon believes that boundless creative breakthrough is an important core of creation itself, constantly learning and discovering new technologies and breakthroughs. Andréa phillippon believes that to some extent, when you create something from scratch, have enough knowledge and think and create in a more creative way, rather than focusing too much on the technical part of the work to be done, focusing on the creation itself can be a very attractive thing.
Andréa phillippon said, "I really want to bring people into a digital world. In this world, nature is as beautiful, complex and magical as our real world; the digital virtual world is a world without boundaries and restrictions. This is a vast world, and only your thoughts are the limit!"
“I have a dynamic and fresh style and always strive to push my boundaries, reaching the best outcomes possible. Still acquiring and experimenting with new skills, I create compelling pieces, revealing a great sense of composition with a strong focus on design and nature.”
——Andréa phillippon
theFOUND & Andréa Phillippon
Q1:
How do you understand the relationship between the company's brand and art? Can you share your artistic design ideas and innovative ideas?
I genuinely think that circular design is the way for some new (or past) brand that wants to participate in our future. We must create from recyclable materials. The final product is as important as how we consume them and integrate them into our daily lives. I like to think that I can help brands communicate these ideas if they have and apply these core principles. Unfortunately, this is not very often the case.
I also have a lot of images in my mind that I want to share with the world. I gained a lot of experience and skills over the past years, and I’m happy to realize that I have started to think more as a creative person rather than a technical one. 3D can be complicated to learn sometime, and it’s easy to get lost. Still, I finally found something I enjoy doing, like my last series for 36 Days Of Type Challenge. I push myself to follow a more creative path for my future.
Q2:
What drives you to constantly try new things, challenge and break your limits in creation?
I have set goals in my mind that I always try to achieve by integrating them into my commercial or personal work. Every new project is an opportunity for me to learn more and move toward my long-term goals. I’m continuously reviewing them as I move forward and I grow up.
I have set goals in my mind that I always try to achieve by integrating them into my commercial or personal work. Every new project is an opportunity for me to learn more and move toward my long term goals.
I’m continuously reviewing them as I move forward and I grow up.
Q3:
How do you perceive external information and turn it into creation? Where does your creative inspiration usually come from?
It comes from everything! It could be during watching a movie or a documentary, during a walk-up in the mountains, or reading books. A great source of inspiration is what my preferred artists are doing or have done in the past. I recently discovered Alphonse Mucha’s work, an artist from the beginning of the XX century, and I love it. I’m also doing photography, mostly about nature. I find it fantastic when you pay close attention to it. Life and inspiration are all around. You never know what will inspire you until you find it, and there is a lot to discover.
Q4:
Natural theme has always been one of the core elements of your creation. What are the new possibilities of 3D technology for the creation of natural elements?
I grew up surrounded by forests and nature when I was a kid. I loved spending hours outside and building things with whatever I could find in the woods, like cabins in the trees, fishing rods, bows and arrows, cross- bows... I even built a huge castle made of clay I had to dig out from under my parent’s house that took me months to create! I was so proud of it. But I also was a hardcore gamer for some time. Playing video games in my darkroom all day and night was very addictive. I like to think that I can now mix the things I loved when I was a kid; nature and computers. These are the things I enjoy immensely. 3D technology is evolving at a rapid pace. I can’t stay updated on what the last new tech is doing. Still, there are no doubts about the creative power it gives you, whatever the tool is. The more you practice, the better you become, and the more creative possibilities open to you.
Q5:
Digital virtual art has brought new possibilities for traditional brand advertising and publicity. How do you understand the impact and advantages of digital virtual art in helping brand output? What are your different experiences in business cooperation and artistic creation?
Brands are always looking for something new that catches attention, and 3D is a world with no boundaries and limitations. It is a vast world where only your mind is the limit! I think brands understand that, and they don’t often succeed in using 3D art for their communication. Still, some crazy projects are just breathtaking, and I’m sure I only know a few of them.
I mostly worked as a freelancer, and I want to keep it that way. I don’t like having to work every day for the same brand as it becomes really dull in the end. I lose that creative energy and feeling that I love so much when I work on a fresh project. I worked for a rather big agency at some point. Still, I lost my creativity very quickly and went into depression after that... In any case, that was a great experience, and I learned a lot from it.
Q6:
Your projects usually involve symbolic music. How do you define the relationship between sound and art?
Someone told me once, «music is 80% of a video. You can have the greatest animation ever; if the sound is bad, so do the animation». This is why I always try to convey the feelings and emotions I wanna put into each piece with the right music. This is very important to me.
Q7:
Your works use various technical software, such as C4D, Houdini, Redshift, Octane, etc. Can you share your experience in applying different technical software?
Everyday, I always try to learn something new or apply a technique/code, so I keep learning and discovering new technics. At some point, you have enough knowledge to think in a more creative way instead of focusing on the technical part of the work you are trying to achieve. This is a very appealing feeling when you create something from scratch without worrying too much about how to execute what you have in mind.
Q8:
With the acceleration of the current virtual digitization process, in the environment of virtual digital art and commercial art, the sense of experience needs higher quality and more realistic virtual engine digital content. What do you think are the obstacles or new opportunities to achieve this goal?
I don’t think there are any obstacles! If there is one, that would be yourself. You push the ON button every day to keep moving forward. If you are unwilling to learn and dedicate time to growing your skills, that’s your decision and no one else. There are many different ways to learn and evolve, and living in a digital world creates thousands of opportunities. You just have to pick one, see where it brings you, and repeat it until you reach your goals.
Q9:
Will it cooperate with more fields in the future? What kind of social value and artistic influence do you want to create?
The digital world is evolving rapidly, and it’s impossible to follow everything. I think we are just at the beginning of this world. There are thousands of crazy projects going on. Look at the crypto world and how fast it’s evolving revolutionary ideas. It will probably take time to be adopted by the people, but I think it will come. The NFT revolution in the artistic field is one of them, and I’ll join the party sooner or later.
For now, I want to focus more on my art. I still have a lot to learn and a lot to experiment with, and this is very exciting for me! I would love to bring people into a digital world where nature is as beautiful, complex, and magical as our real world.
