Theo Jansen is a cutting edge Dutch artist. Theo, however, is not what you would generally think of as an artist. Calling himself a kinetic sculptor, Theo is a man with a dream.His medium is sculpture, but he doesn’t just build static sculptures, and referring to his works as moving sculptures would be an understatement. Jansen’s passion lies in the fathering of a species of intelligent, self-sustaining beach dwellers that he calls the strandbeesten.
“Since about ten years Theo Jansen is occupied with the making of a new nature. Not pollen or seeds but plastic yellow tubes are used as the basic material of this new nature. He makes skeletons which are able to walk on the wind.”(Strandbeest.com)
Jansen works both as an artist and an engineer. Wings flapping, his machines consume wind as their primary means of sustenance. Roaming up and down the beaches of the Netherlands, they use pneumatic pressure and inertia to power their elegantly simple systems, and are capable of detecting and avoiding danger.
Although the dream of Theo Jansen is not yet complete, he is showing a lot of promise and displaying a great deal of determination. His work is very unique and is supported by many.
Below, Jansen and his creations are featured in a BMW commercial.
I’ve also included a TED.com presentation. (If you don’t already know about ted.com, you should check it out. It’s a fantastic site with presentations on a multitude of topics)
You can visit his web site HERE, where you can find out more about his work, his book and the documentary that is currently in production.
BMW Commercial
TED
Theo Jansen: The art of creating creatures
