From an array of photos, videos, sound bytes, and illustrative elements, Rich Wells creates moving collages that capture the essence of place. Based in Sheffield, he documents his visits to landscapes and landmarks near and far, including bicycle rides around different parts of the U.K. and places as familiar as his own kitchen table.
“I really enjoy the process of making these collages—going out into the world and trying to capture what it feels like to be somewhere,” Wells tells Colossal. “I like to think of myself as a Victorian photographer taking long exposures, but most of the time I’m recording the pavement with my iPhone.”
Using Adobe After Effects, Wells manually cuts out shapes from photos and drawings, then combines them with videos and sounds to create what he describes as “looping worlds.” Although the clips are typically only around 10 seconds long, their repetition creates a simultaneous sense of endless movement and something of an animated time capsule of a particular moment.
Wells says, “In these tough times I make work to encourage myself to look up and around, and I hope that they encourage others, too.” He and partner Bryony Wells are also the founders of creative studio Make Better, and you can see more on Instagram.
“Look mum no hands” (2021)
“Sugworth Road” (2020)
“Kitchen wildflowers” (2022)
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