Christoph Niemann creates VR animation of his latest New Yorker cover illustration

Christoph Niemann has animated his latest cover illustration for The New Yorker into a 360 degree VR film. The illustration for the US Open issue, out 5 September, features a contorted figure mid-serve, with the tennis ball forming the “o” of the magazine’s header. In the film, this character starts off reading the magazine, then screws it up to create the tennis ball in the illustration.

The film uses the same abstracted forms and fresh green and blue colour scheme as the cover, giving the viewer the feeling of diving into Christoph’s artwork. At first viewers can spin to follow the ball as it is hit between players, and pings off a passing helicopter; then midway through, the viewer becomes the ball.

Christoph created the illustration and animation for The New Yorker with art editor Françoise Mouly and producer Jill BC Duboff.