An animation of a grey mechanical device against a bright turquoise background. A thick, pale pink cloud of smoke or gas erupts from the front of the machine.

A bunch of grueseome GIFs from animator Mattis Dovier

Words: Liv Siddall
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Date: 27 August 2014; Work
Animation

A few weeks back we posted about a music video for a band called Plurabelle which was directed by Mattis Dovier. Curious as to how he had created the pixel effect, we ventured into his online portfolio which was like an Aladdin’s Cave of excellent, juicy GIFs. What is it about GIFS? Why the appeal? There is something inexplicably wonderful about seeing or hearing something on a loop, it seems naughty – something you shouldn’t waste your time doing, like throwing a ball against a wall or spitting over a bridge. I think we can all agree that the best GIFS out there show people (or dogs) hurting themselves or being clumsy in some way, which is why Mattis’ violent and very well-crafted selection went down so well with us. Our favourite? The running sumo or the motorbike spin, hands down.

An animation of a grey handgun held by a person against a purple background. A cloud of mint green smoke billows from the barrel as a spent shell casing is ejected. — Above
Mattis Dovier: Bullet

An animation in which a black and white sketch of a mouth opens and closes. The figure is surrounded by coarse, hatched lines suggesting hair or fur. — Above
Mattis Dovier: Fuck

An animation in which a blue sphere hits a person in the face. The figure, drawn in a bold illustrative style against a pink background, winces and closes their eyes upon impact. — Above
Mattis Dovier: Impact

An animation of a hand making a middle finger gesture. The black and white ink illustration features subtle movement against a plain white background. — Above
Mattis Dovier: Finger

An animation in which grey, cloud-like shapes morph against a purple background. The forms shift and expand to spell out the word “BDH”. — Above
Mattis Dovier: Bom

An animation in which a black and white line illustration shows a person from behind, wearing underwear and lying on a textured surface. The figure moves with subtle, rhythmic shifts. — Above
Mattis Dovier: Butt

An animation in which a person holds a white handgun against a dark background. Pink, cloud-like shapes and small capsules erupt from the top of the weapon. — Above
Mattis Dovier: Bullet

An animation of a sketch in which a large person in shorts dances against a plain white background. The camera zooms in on their face as they move. — Above
Mattis Dovier: Sumo

An animation in which a person in blue trousers and grey sneakers performs a trick on a skateboard. The figure jumps into the air, then lands and falls forward onto their arm. — Above
Mattis Dovier: Sport

An animation in which a black and white line illustration of a torso is shown. Hands move across the chest, pressing into the breasts. — Above
Mattis Dovier: Boobs

An animation in which a person in a blue polo shirt is punched in the jaw by a green boxing glove. The figure’s head recoils against a bright pink background. — Above
Mattis Dovier: Punch

An animation of a person in a dark suit and helmet riding a purple motorbike. The figure rotates in a full circle against a textured purple background. — Above
Mattis Dovier: Moto

An animation in which a camera pulls back from a close-up of a mouth. The black and white illustration shows a person with a metallic object against their lips. — Above
Mattis Dovier: Lips

Further Info

www.mattisdovier.tumblr.com

About the Author

Liv Siddall

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Liv joined It’s Nice That as an intern in 2011 and worked across online, print and events, and was latterly Features Editor before leaving in May 2015.

A bunch of grueseome GIFs from animator Mattis Dovier

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