Strandbeest

Biography:

Theo Jansen was born March 16th 1948. He is now aged 60. Born in The Hague, in the
Netherlands and is known for his Kinetic sculptures.

Art work facts:

He builds large works which resemble skeletons of animals and are able to walk using the wind on the beaches of the Netherlands. His animated works are described aa a fusion of art and engineering. They have also been used in a BMW television commercial (check it out on YouTube Theo Jansen- Kinetic Scultures)

Personal response:

His models come to life on the beach, right next to the waters edge, which makes it feel somewhat more dramatic. The scultures move effortlessly across the sand, as if powered by a motor rather than the wind. It is also slightly hard to believe that the sculptures even work, as they look so flimsy in the harsh weather conditions.

Additional Information:

He once said - 'The walls between art and engineering exist only in our minds'.

He calls the project Strandbeest, strand is the word used for beach in Dutch, the beach being where he brings his models to life.

Strandbeest Website

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