There’s nothing that makes us happier than finding new beauty in something that we’ve always looked at as mundane. It’s even better when the beauty of something as terrestrial as sections of trees becomes utterly otherworldly if presented in the right way.
Woodswimmer was brought to our attention by a recent post on Sploid and has us mesmerized by what it uncovers. Vimeo’s Bfophoto combined hundreds of “cross-sectional photographic scans of pieces of hardwood, burls and branches” that, when edited together, give us a unique view inside the composition of the wood. Not only does it show us the “growth” of a tree (in its destruction at least) but the result is something that looks completely alien.
There’s a certain beauty in seeing something that’s so literally bound to the Earth feel as if it’s from somewhere else altogether. As the layers are animated, it’s hard not to compare the movement and convergence of knots and grain to sandstorms rolling across a desert or to satellite images of other planets and the storms that dance across their surfaces.
We can’t begin to imagine the painstakingly arduous task of stitching all the scans together, let alone keeping a work space free from sawdust and debris with each and every one. That alone makes Bfophoto more than amazing, but Woodswimmer is truly a thing of beauty and something we could watch for hours. In fact, we probably will.
What’s your favorite bit of Woodswimmer?  What does the footage remind you of? Going to buy one the project’s prints? Let’s discuss in the comments below!
