Theo Jansen's Strandbeest

Beyond creating the self-moving Beest, the materials and methods of which Jansen described are fundamental to what makes him an artist, and more specifically, a kinetic sculptor. Within his Beest sculptures, Jansen employs several of the elements and principles of art. Through his ever-present use of tubing, Jansen creates several vertical and horizontal lines, these come together to form geometric shapes, and the overall structure is a form composed of several smaller forms, often cubes. Both the positive and negative space, identified as the Beest and the environment that surrounds it, respectively, are elements present in Jansen’s work. Along with these elements, Jansen uses the principle of balance, created by the use of repeating shapes made by the tubing and the feeling of an equal weight throughout the Beest, and unity or harmony, created by the constant use of tubing that appears to fit well together in a way that feels whole. …show more content…
This was a feeling that seemed to be represented equally in the audience through the many verbal awes, laughter due to excitement, and the visual and auditory clues given off by the members of the audience that posed questions following the lecture. I think that my lingering questions, like many of those in the audience that posed questions, are centered around the following question: “What’s next?”. The ideas and mechanisms behind the Strandbeest genealogy are so inspirational and enthralling that it feels as though the next advancement, regardless of what it is, must be even more incredible than those that preceded it. This belief was reiterated by Jansen himself, when he referred to his excitement and support for the aforementioned artist from the Netherlands and his individual advancements. Personally, I would love to implement the aspect of movement through the use of mechanisms in my work similar to a way that the Strandbeest utilizes