Strandbeest Web Shop

DVD (English/Française/Deutsch/Español/Nederlands/ )
Book English
Boek Nederlands

Show PayPal shopping card

Theo Jansen
DVD - Works of Art

Theo Jansen (1948) studied physics at the University of Delft (The Netherlands) from 1968-1975. He left University to be - come an artist. He painted for the first seven years. In 1980 he built a flying saucer (15 ft flashing lights, beep sounds) that flew over Delft and set the town in commotion. Then he built a light sensitive spray-gun which paints an object on a surface. Since 1986 Theo Jansen has been writing a column for the Volkskrant (national newspaper). Since 1990 he has been working on a new creation: skeletons made of electric-conduits which walk on windpower. These animals have evolved into several generations over the last twelve years. Eventually he wants to put the anima Is out in herds on the beaches, where they live their own lives.

The DVD contains sub-titles in the language: English, Française, Deutsch, Español, Nederlands and Japanese

This DVD, without box and cover, is only include in the English book.

Prijs: € 17.50 + shipping

PayPal voor Nederland

Graag uw PayPal afleveradres controleren.

PayPal for Europe

Please check your PayPal shipping address.

PayPal for World

Please check your PayPal shipping address.

* Alleen voor Nederland: Als u de DVD wilt betalen via een bank of giro overschrijving, stuur dat een email met uw adres gegevens naar: webshop@strandbeest.com. Wij sturen u dan de nodige gegevens. De prijs voor deze methode is 19,50 EUR (inc. verzendkosten).

Theo Jansen
The Great Pretender

No creature on earth is better at pretending than we humans. The title of this book is a way of saying that our daily life is nothing other than a show played out in our minds. We have a talent for creating a fantasy world. Luckily for us. He who is unable to daydream becomes hopelessly depressed. Our talent for simulating is so strong that we are even able to pretend that we exist. We simulate a first-person form, an 'I'.
In The Great Pretender, kinetic artist Theo Jansen shows that the 'I' we envision is a tool in our evolution. We need this tool to be selfish. There can be no selfishness without the I-fantasy. Since 1990 Theo Jansen has been engaged in creating new forms of life: beach animals. These are not made of protein like the existing life-forms but from another basic stuff, yellow plastic tubing. Skeletons made from these tubes are able to walk. They get their energy from the wind, so they don't have to eat like regular animals. They evolved over many generations, becoming increasingly adept at surviving storms and water from the sea. Theo Jansen's ultimate wish is to release herds of these animals on the shore. In redoing the Creation, so to speak, he hopes to become wiser in his dealings with the existing nature by encountering problems the Real Creator had to face.
The Great Pretender is a testimonial to his experiences as God. It's not easy being God; there are plenty of disappointments along the way. But on the few occasions that things work out, being God is the most wonderful thing in the world.

The book contains 240 richly illustrated pages and includes a companion DVD of beach animal video's (Works of Art by Theo Jansen).

Price:€ 39.50 + shipping

PayPal voor Netherland