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Strandbeest
The Dream Machines of Theo Jansen
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Strandbeest
$19500
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?
Ideal for readers interested in kinetic art, mechanical sculpture, modern creativity, and the intersection of technology with natural form and philosophy.
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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and
still learning, it may not be perfect - your
feedback is welcome!
Description
For seven years, photographer and artist Lena Herzog followed the evolution of a new kinetic species. Intricate as insects but with bursts of equine energy, the Strandbeests, or "beach creatures," are the creation of Dutch artist Theo Jansen, who has been working for nearly two decades to generate these new life-forms that move, and even survive, on their own.
Set to roam the beaches of Holland, the Strandbeests pick up the wind in their gossamer wings and spring, as if by metamorphosis, into action. As if it were blood, not the breeze, running through their delicate forms, they quiver, cavort, and trot against the sun and sea, pausing to change direction if they sense loose sand or water that might destabilise their movement.
Coinciding with a travelling exhibition, Herzog's photographic tribute captures Jansen's menagerie in a meditative black and white, showcasing Jansen's imaginative vision, as well as the compelling intersection of animate and inanimate in his creatures. The result is a work of art in its own right and a mesmerising encounter not only with a very surrealist brand of marvellous, but also with whole new ideas of existence.
Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?
The New York Times Magazine praises the Strandbeests for appearing truly alive, free from the uncanny valley effect common in robotic creations and seeming to possess a soul. Forbes commends their spectacular blend of mechanical, philosophical, and artistic excellence, highlighting Jansen's dual talents as both artist and artisan.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9783836548496
Publisher: Taschen GmbH
Format: Hardback
Date Published: 22 November 2014
Country: Germany
Imprint: Taschen GmbH
Edition: Multilingual edition
Contributors:
- Illustrated by Theo Jansen
- Photographs by Lena Herzog
- By Theo Jansen
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 35.0mm
Width: 250.0mm
Height: 350.0mm
Weight: 3397g
Pages: 328
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About the Author
LA-born Lawrence Weschler is the award-winning author of Seeing Is Forgetting the Name of the Thing One Sees (about Robert Irwin), True to Life (about David Hockney), Mr. Wilson’s Cabinet of Wonders, and Everything That Rises: A Book of Convergences, among many others. He lives in New York City. Dutch visual artist Theo Jansen studied science at the University of Delft. He spent his early career painting, before deciding to strike out on a new course by making a real flying saucer which flew over Delft in 1980. Since then he has been working on the creation of the Strandbeest species. Jansen’s work has been featured in several television programs, as well as in The New Yorker, New Scientist, and Wired. Lena Herzog is a multi-disciplinary artist. She studied Philosophy and Linguistics (Philology), began working primarily in the field of photography and print making since 1997. Herzog is the author of six books of photography; her work has been widely published and reviewed by The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The New Yorker, The Paris Review among many others. She is a regular contributing artist to Harper’s Magazine. Her work has been collected and exhibited in major museums and institutions around the world. .
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