• Unbelievable Kinetic Sculptures of Theo Jansen

    Written by Delana on October 11th, 2008 - Topics: Environment, Urban Art, Various

    Theo Jansen's kinetic sculptures

    Part Three in an Eight-Part Series on Amazing Artists of the World

    In 1990, a new species was born.  It was not formed from the cross-breeding of existing creatures.  It didn’t evolve from a simple to a complex organism.  It sprung from the hands of a Dutch artist whose imagination and technical knowledge somehow turned plastic yellow tubes into graceful beach faring creatures.


    Theo Jansen

    (image via: Strandbeest)

    Theo Jansen calls his kinetic sculptures “Animari.” The creatures walk in herds on beaches, powered only by the wind. Some of them are able to capture and store the wind, then keep moving for extended times. Some even have the ability to anchor themselves in the sand when the wind threatens to blow them away - allowing the plastic-tube critters to engage in active self-preservation.

    kinetic sculpture beach

    kinetic sculptures holland

    (images via: Strandbeest)

    Jansen wasn’t always a creator of life. He once studied physics, later quitting to become a painter. He caused near-panic in a town with his homemade “UFO” and invented an amazing painting machine in the following years. In 1990, he found the happy medium between physics and art with the creation of Animari. The number of tubes and the length of each tube determines the genetic “code” of each strandbeest (or beach animal), dictating how it will move and interact with its environment.

    Part Three in an Eight-Part Series on Amazing Artists of the World In 1990, a new species was born.  It was not formed from the cross-breeding of existing creatures.  It didn’t evolve from a simple to a complex organism.  It sprung from the hands of a Dutch artist whose imagination and technical knowledge somehow turned plastic [...]
    Part Three in an Eight-Part Series on Amazing Artists of the World In 1990, a new species was born.  It was not formed from the cross-breeding of existing creatures.  It didn’t evolve from a simple to a complex organism.  It sprung from the hands of a Dutch artist whose imagination and technical knowledge somehow turned plastic [...]
    Part Three in an Eight-Part Series on Amazing Artists of the World In 1990, a new species was born.  It was not formed from the cross-breeding of existing creatures.  It didn’t evolve from a simple to a complex organism.  It sprung from the hands of a Dutch artist whose imagination and technical knowledge somehow turned plastic [...]
    Part Three in an Eight-Part Series on Amazing Artists of the World In 1990, a new species was born.  It was not formed from the cross-breeding of existing creatures.  It didn’t evolve from a simple to a complex organism.  It sprung from the hands of a Dutch artist whose imagination and technical knowledge somehow turned plastic [...]
    Part Three in an Eight-Part Series on Amazing Artists of the World In 1990, a new species was born.  It was not formed from the cross-breeding of existing creatures.  It didn’t evolve from a simple to a complex organism.  It sprung from the hands of a Dutch artist whose imagination and technical knowledge somehow turned plastic [...]
    Part Three in an Eight-Part Series on Amazing Artists of the World In 1990, a new species was born.  It was not formed from the cross-breeding of existing creatures.  It didn’t evolve from a simple to a complex organism.  It sprung from the hands of a Dutch artist whose imagination and technical knowledge somehow turned plastic [...]
    Part Three in an Eight-Part Series on Amazing Artists of the World In 1990, a new species was born.  It was not formed from the cross-breeding of existing creatures.  It didn’t evolve from a simple to a complex organism.  It sprung from the hands of a Dutch artist whose imagination and technical knowledge somehow turned plastic [...]
    Part Three in an Eight-Part Series on Amazing Artists of the World In 1990, a new species was born.  It was not formed from the cross-breeding of existing creatures.  It didn’t evolve from a simple to a complex organism.  It sprung from the hands of a Dutch artist whose imagination and technical knowledge somehow turned plastic [...]
    Part Three in an Eight-Part Series on Amazing Artists of the World In 1990, a new species was born.  It was not formed from the cross-breeding of existing creatures.  It didn’t evolve from a simple to a complex organism.  It sprung from the hands of a Dutch artist whose imagination and technical knowledge somehow turned plastic [...]
    Part Three in an Eight-Part Series on Amazing Artists of the World In 1990, a new species was born.  It was not formed from the cross-breeding of existing creatures.  It didn’t evolve from a simple to a complex organism.  It sprung from the hands of a Dutch artist whose imagination and technical knowledge somehow turned plastic [...]
    Part Three in an Eight-Part Series on Amazing Artists of the World In 1990, a new species was born.  It was not formed from the cross-breeding of existing creatures.  It didn’t evolve from a simple to a complex organism.  It sprung from the hands of a Dutch artist whose imagination and technical knowledge somehow turned plastic [...]
    Part Three in an Eight-Part Series on Amazing Artists of the World In 1990, a new species was born.  It was not formed from the cross-breeding of existing creatures.  It didn’t evolve from a simple to a complex organism.  It sprung from the hands of a Dutch artist whose imagination and technical knowledge somehow turned plastic [...]

    If you think the idea of wind-powered beach crawling creatures sounds odd, you’ll be amazed at the artist’s vision of their future. He theorizes that one day the animali will be able to evolve just like the organic beings on earth: by challenging each other. The winner will absorb the loser’s “DNA” and continue to grow and learn new things. Theo Jansen says that the creatures will one day have muscles, as well as brains complicated enough to allow them to perform complex actions. This video gives a glimpse into the lives of animari and their creator.

    Whether these strandbeest continue to evolve or not, they are compelling on their own as art and as a beautiful example of inventive engineering.

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    14 Comments

    • rod gonzales
      October 12th, 2008 at 7:47 pm

      very proud of this man..his work is “moving”..duh..

    • chris
      October 13th, 2008 at 11:47 am

      what a waste

    • Demitri
      October 13th, 2008 at 1:48 pm

      Waste? This is the future! Soon people will be walking through the undergrowth riding these things! Soon seeing these “creature creations” riding their way through beaches will be a common sight!

      Soon…

      They will take over the entire world!

    • Monica Schuberth
      October 14th, 2008 at 9:42 am

      Theo’s work is amazing! I would love to be able to take my children to the beach and be able to watch these graceful “creatures” lumbering their way into the wind! What a sight to behold.

    • emileo foksbottum
      October 14th, 2008 at 2:32 pm

      I always considered myself very imaginitive and sometimes even technical. And NEVER dreamed of seeing anything like these “Kinetic Sculptures” or whatever we may classify them as in the future. Even as a child playing with propellers and windmills I never concieved such things! To call something brilliant such as this “a waste of time” shows the great decay of our society’s ability to comprehend the subtle possibilities before us, such as the potential energy-saving mechanisms that can be had from the generosity of (simple) Physics. So let all the “Chris’” sit in their cubicles and make the their corporations investors richER.
      Let this man Tack Into The Wind!

    • f1
      October 15th, 2008 at 11:20 pm

      this is magic!

    • Adam
      October 16th, 2008 at 7:45 pm

      Awesome, I’m one step closer to building my Mech

    • Lora
      October 20th, 2008 at 1:10 pm

      These Kinetic Moving Sculptures are amazing creations. Oh…the possbilbilties.

    • Payton
      November 5th, 2008 at 7:16 pm

      I had the priveledge of attending a lecture held by Mr. Jenson this man is truely a genius, I have to say watching this man in person presenting his “animals” is much more amazing than any video can possibly portray, we could use more Jensons and less “Chris’s” in this world

    • HHA
      January 2nd, 2009 at 7:22 am

      I have seen this on television ans it looks great.

      Greeting Erwin

      Almere Holland

      http://www.helpinghandalmare.nl

    Trackbacks

    1. Windkreaturen @ Kaffeeblick
    2. Photo News » Amazing Sculptures of Theo Jansen
    3. Sammie's Condensed links for the week - Fearless women, freaky fun - its Hippymom!
    4. Enlaces entre horas » Post Topic » Creatividad antes del finde

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