Filmmaker Ryan Hopkinson on Björk’s All is Full of Love

Date
30 June 2014

Ryan Hopkinson’s work is a mesmerising merge of science and technology with art. It therefore seems perfect that, as such a fantastically forward-thinking film-maker and photographer, he’s chosen Björk’s video for All is Full of Love directed by Chris Cunningham, as his favourite music video. We’ve written about Ryan quite a few times, and posted about his photography as well as his stunning film work, all of which uses special effects spectacularly and surprisingly. Here is the fascinating conceptual visual artist on what he likes best about the legendary video, which seems more 22nd Century than anything 20th Century:

Ryan Hopkinson: Björk – All is Full of Love

Tracking over the cables and around the flickering lights you already know you’re in for a treat as the synths delicately warm up to reveal the silhouetted opening shot of “Björk.” As the dynamic lighting changes begin, the appearance of this machine booting up like a computer for the first time instantly made me fall in love with not only the visuals, but a softer more delicate version of Björk’s vocals.

This idea of creating machines to replicate human emotion via artificial intelligence through a delicate yet stark, minimal set is a fine example of a director transcending the people his work promotes. The porcelain appearance of the metallic skin, the delicate hydraulic movements of the body, and the surrounding machinery, all reveal cold technology merging with the delicacy of the female form via human sensuality. This makes it one of the most beautiful promos I’ve ever seen.

You would never believe that a music video that is 15 years old (!!!) could still stand against today’s current state of CGI blockbusters, but this music promo is one of those rare pieces of filmmaking that perfectly balance CGI and in-camera model-making to create something that looks and feels timeless. To further cement its technical and artistic weight, the video is on permanent exhibition at MoMA NYC, and anything that goes beyond a music promo and into something that an audience can consider art has my unquestionable love and respect.

Above

Björk: All is Full of Love

Above

Björk: All is Full of Love

Above

Björk: All is Full of Love

Above

Björk: All is Full of Love

Share Article

About the Author

Madeleine Morley

It's Nice That Newsletters

Fancy a bit of It's Nice That in your inbox? Sign up to our newsletters and we'll keep you in the loop with everything good going on in the creative world.