A dazzling slice-by-slice exploration of wood exposes hidden patterns and hues

WoodSwimmer is a mesmerising music video that doubles as a wildly inventive science experiment. Produced to accompany a piece of electronic music by the US visual effects artist Conor Grebel under his moniker Bedtimes, this short from the US animator Brett Foxwell uses stop-motion animation to reveal the hidden patterns of wood. Using a straightforward but ‘brutally tedious’ technique, Foxwell worked pieces of wood through a milling machine, taking scans of each cross-section to create the visual sequences that make up the film. The final product proves to be worth the tremendous effort, exposing the forms of growth rings, knots, holes and hue changes that are normally hidden from the human eye. For more from Foxwell, watch The Book of Leaves.