When strandbeests attack

Posted by Camille Poché, ArtsQuest’s marketing intern and baker of delicious and ridiculous cupcakes.

“The walls between art and engineering exist only in our minds.” -Theo Jansen

A few years ago, a professor of mine was helping me to find inspiration for my art and in the process, he introduced me to a Dutch artist/engineer Theo Jansen. Jansen combines his skill of art sculpture and his knowledge in engineering to create his own walking kinetic sculptures and what he likes to call, “Strandbeests.”

Using plastic tubes and lemonade bottles, he has built a creature that are designed to move and survive on their own. The wind gives the beasts energy, making them walk sideways along the beach.

Now don’t get me wrong, I might be a little freaked out if this thing came up behind me at the beach, but the fact that it moves so gracefully makes is extremely fascinating and completely beautiful. Eventually Jansen plans to put these animals out in herds on the beaches so they will live on their own.

Check out more strandbeest action at www.strandbeest.com/

AND check out his video from TED, where further strandbeest love is explained.