When we last checked in with Australian designer and illustrator Sutu, real name Stuart Campbell, he was constructing entire universes out of the virtual reality art tool Tilt Brush. He entitled a four “room” project he made within the VR art-enabling software SUTUWERLD—the project, a breathtaking exploration of varying environments all within a single piece in Tilt Brush. His latest project takes his astounding grandiose visions even further: by creating a sprawling pirate ship in meticulous detail.
The piece, fittingly named the Flying Dutchman, is a proof-of-concept for a competition to make a music video for the Philharmonia Orchestra of New York (PONY). According to the Creator’s Project, Sutu and collaborator Alan Nguyen are currently finalists in the top ten. After seeing a video preview of the project, it’s not hard to see why their project has prevailed in the ranks, despite submissions from other filmmakers in over 30 countries.
In the Tilt Brush orchestrated Flying Dutchman, you soar over dark, stormy seas. The pirate ship is barely in sight, before you’re swept onto the deck with sailors struggling to fight the storm. PONY’s ominous score swells as you explore the digital painting—the piece is Wagner’s classic “Flying Dutchman Overture,” of course—from viewing the quiet and solemn aftermath of the storm to finding refuge in a tucked away cabin. In the Flying Dutchman, Sutu and Nguyen prove that Tilt Brush is an art tool that is not to be underestimated.
You can see more of Sutu’s work on his website and watch the video tour of the Flying Dutchman below.
