Elenco Strandbeest - Manual (Page 6)

How this creator
made the beest.
9 10
What is Theo Jansen's
strandbeest?
S p e c i a l I n t e r v i e w
Everything began with pipes
The World of Theo Jansen
A Strandbeest is a
creature made of plastic
pipes and is powered
by wind. It is almost a
living creature. The
picture on the right
shows a leg that Jansen
constructed based on
the 13 holy numbers,
ratios between each
length of pipe. The 13
holy numbers are the
keys to the life like walk
of the beests. Jansen
has characterized all the
generations of his
strandbeests, just as the
evolution of any other
biological organisms.
He also calls a single
structural unit, a cell.
various special
shape parts.
Plastic pipes sold
at consumer
construction
supply stores.
Pipe supplies in
Jansen's storage.
Among various types of kinetic art, Theo Jansen's strandbeests
are outstanding in their structures and their remarkable
motions. What is the ultimate goal of this genius, Theo Jansen?
We visited Jansen at his workshop in Ypsenburg, Netherlands.
Interviewer: First of all, why did you choose to use
plastic pipes for the materials?
Jansen: When I first started making strandbeests in
1990, this type of plastic pipe was very popular. They
were easily found in stores. Some kids made blow
darts out of them. I even found them thrown in the
garbage cans. They were cheap as well. 4m length
with a 4mm diameter pipe was about 40 cents Euro.
Initially, I was purchasing the pipes at general stores in
town but later I started to acquire them from the
manufacturers directly.
Nowadays, the gray pipes are becoming more
common and taking the place of yellow pipes in the
markets everywhere. Before the yellow pipes become
unavailable, I needed to stock up my storages with
yellow pipes. I have about 12,000 of the 4m long pipes
in various diameters. That is a lifetime supply. I should
not have any trouble making more beests.
Cooperation/Theo Jansen Media Force Ltd.
Photograph/Loek van der Klis
Text/Gakken Editor Team
Jansen was born in 1948 in
Scheveningen, Netherlands.
He majored in physics at Delft
University of Technology.
Jansen started to create
strandbeests in 1990.