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Meet Mira Ruido, Our Generation's Premier Sci-Fi Surrealist

Illustrator and animator Mira Ruido takes a vision of sci-fi that's more focused on futuristic worlds than high tech.
Image: Mira Ruido

Mira Ruido is a combination of two Spanish words—one meaning "look," the other "noise." Mira Ruido is also the pseudonym of Spanish illustrator Joseba Elorza. Known for his science fiction-influenced collage work, which features surreal proportions and landscapes, Ruido's illustrations have appeared in Esquire, New Scientist, and a number of other publications.

In Astronaut, Ruido imaginesspace-walking as a literal spectator sport. A seemingly large human being flails about at the top of a twister in Tornado. And, in Trapped, a man finds himself inside a luminous but clear geometric encasement, with vast plains, mountains, and space all around him. It's the type of collage work that fires the imagination.

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Ruido originally got started in digital collage and video when his brother brought a new Macbook home. He'd always wanted to express himself creatively, so he installed some image editing software and started mucking about. Not satisfied with his drawing skills, Ruido turned to digital collage to tell stories. Later, he learned how to animate his compositions, which led to commissioned work.

In Armor, a soldier is outfitted with a protective covering. Image: Mira Ruido

Though science fiction is a vital influence, Ruido sees two early 20th century anarchic art movements as more instrumental to the look and process of his collage and animation.

"I would say that my influences in the art world are more linked to Surrealism and Dadaism with artists like Rene Magritte and Max Ernst than to the world of science fiction," Ruido told me. "However, it seems to me that a move like 2001: A Space Odyssey is tremendously inspiring."

Along with Stanely Kubrick and Ridley Scott, Ruido counts Katsuhiro Otomo as an influence. Ruido said that there is an "aroma of science fiction" to his works because it is a great partner to his surrealist tendencies. Playing a lot with scale, Ruido has humongous figures dwarf cities and country landscapes. In Lost, for example, a giant toddler stands between mountains with a gigantic sun hanging over his right shoulder.

"Playing with the scale of the elements is just a way to distribute power within the image—it is a play of forces," he said. "You can use it to criticize, to make people laugh, or just to highlight the meaning of the image." There is a hint of Terry Gilliam to this image-making, especially with the proportions, and the occasional comedy of the collages, though Ruido's style is more pristine than Gilliam's cartoonish work.

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"I guess science fiction uses science precisely to give authenticity to a particular story, a starting point to work on unimaginable stories," the artist told me. "I try to do the same with my work, where you will always see known elements in unreal or provocative situations. It's not about creating from scratch, but imagining new worlds with the feet planted firmly on the ground."

As an artist (and a geek, according to his girlfriend), Ruido keeps an eye out for the latest technological hardware and software, both for his work and his life. He doesn't dispute that there is an "unfortunate consumerist attitude" involved in acquiring new tech, but he doesn't seem too apologetic about it. This impulse drives him to daily visitations of technology, science, and space discovery blogs as fodder for ideas.

Journey. Image: Mira Ruido

"Despite being absolutely unable to understand many concepts nor to imagine the immensity we have out there, everything that happens outside our planet attracts me," he said. "It's amazing to know that we are nothing but stardust."

Recently, Ruido was contacted by the band Air Review to direct the video for their song "Young." With the song featuring themes of childhood and the road to maturity, Ruido decided to make the road literal, showing the child running toward some unknown future.

"I was thankful for the topic of childhood because it gives you so much room for creativity, to jump from our reality to different worlds," he said. "Then I tried to search old movies and public domain photos the elements necessary to tell the story. And then I started a more meticulous and technical job trying to combine these images in the most aesthetic way possible."

Trapped. Image: Mira Ruido

The result is a largely horizontal scroll through imaginary landscapes and cities, peopled by giant heads, sleeping ladies, numerous crowds, impossibly small planets, and Gondry-esque vehicles. In one scene, a gigantic moon travels in a sync with the silhouette of a boy running through a field. Later, a squadron of rocket boys blast across the night sky. (Ruido used Adobe Photoshop and After Effects to create animated collage's illusion of three dimensions and movement.)

For his next few projects, Ruido plans on crafting some album art, as well as directing more music videos. And, in the near future, he plans to make a short film, though he didn't say what type of story it would be. The hope is that he sticks with the surrealist science fiction flavor, though any other excursions into the imagination would be most welcome.