Visual ASMR moments: spotlight on artist Andreas Wannerstedt

Maybe you’ve noticed that our insurance-for-good mission encourages a strong sense of mindfulness in driving—and in life. We think a sensory-loaded way to express this idea comes from the wildly creative mind of 3D sculpture and animation artist Andreas Wannerstedt. His work is featured in three of our recent social posts, but we feel like this amazing artistry needs its own kind of permanent gallery here!

His three looping animations for HiRoad express a way to think about mindful actions via a

visual ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response) effect. And what is that exactly? A popular example is of the painter Bob Ross demonstrating technique in his The Joy of Painting videos. The visuals and sounds from this type of video can impart a soothing, tingling or pleasant feeling for the observer. Now let’s get back to Andreas. Imagine the concept ofstaying focused as he designed it in this Wannerstedt animation for HiRoad:

Staying focused

Now what does the thought of smooth driving conjure up?

Smooth driving

Finally, we really love how a sense of playful courtesy is expressed in Andreas’ take on maintaining safe speeds.

Safe speeds

So how does Andreas go about creating these intriguing experiences…

Three questions for Andreas

1. We’re drawn to the mindful aspects of your art. How do you describe it?

I think that the purpose of art is to inspire a reaction. Many artists want to inspire deep thought with their creations. Some inspire joy, fear, disgust or desire. I’m all about trying to inspire human satisfaction and to make my audience feel a sense of peace and calmness. My animated loops have often been described as “oddly satisfying”, and it’s all about the interactions between shape and space, a portal into the perfect world of physics, movement, and predictability. The mindful aspects are influenced by ASMR (or autonomous sensory meridian response) which is that tingling sensation we sometimes feel when we stumble upon one of our personal triggers. Most common triggers are auditable, like whispering, scratching or humming, but there’s also a sub-genre called "visual ASMR" which is pretty much the same thing but with specific movements that work as triggers instead of sounds.

2. What keeps you focused on a busy work day?

I’ve been working from home during the last year due to the COVID situation and it’s easy to get stuck in front of the screen for a long time, but I try to get away from the computer a couple of times every day to go out for a walk and clear my mind. I like to walk around and listen to audiobooks, and then get back to my projects with fresh eyes. I also drink a tremendous amount of coffee but I’m not sure if that helps.

3. What’s your current inspiration—either from books, streaming content, art, nature or another source?

I’m currently getting a lot of inspiration from all the amazing art that is flooding my social feeds, due to the ongoing NFT hype in the world. There are so many talented digital artists out there. However, I generally draw a lot of inspiration from real world mechanics and physics. We’re surrounded by interesting motion patterns and behaviors in our everyday lives, and most of the time, inspiration comes to me when I’m not in front of the computer. The starting point for a new animation concept usually comes from an object or a motion I see in the real world.

Artful examples for mindful moments

You can experience more of Andreas Wannerstedt’s hypnotic and “oddly satisfying” 3D sculptures and looping animations on his site. We hope you feel inspired to visualize good things as you enjoy his creations. And next time you head out on the road, imagine that staying focused, driving smoothly and maintaining safe speeds can be very satisfying.

The information in this article was obtained from various sources not associated with HiRoad®. While we believe it to be reliable and accurate, we do not warrant the accuracy or reliability of the information. HiRoad is not responsible for, and does not endorse or approve, either implicitly or explicitly, the content of any third party sites that might be hyperlinked from this page. The information is not intended to replace manuals, instructions or information provided by a manufacturer or the advice of a qualified professional, or to affect coverage under any applicable insurance policy. These suggestions are not a complete list of every loss control measure. HiRoad makes no guarantees of results from use of this information.