Theo Jansen's Beach Creatures: Art Or Science?

Despite having labeled myself for many years as "a creative", much of my work and interests seem closer to science or statistics than art. I like structure and order. I like things that work. I like working with numbers and diagrams. I like to carefully prepare, consider and calculate. I understand order and hierarchy. I avoid chaos and freefall. I am an organised worker.

These traits are not typical amongst my peers; so I was very interested when I came across the work of Theo Jansen.

Labeling himself as an artist and kinetic sculptor, he is also a physicist. Here is a man who comfortably blurs the boundaries between science and art; indeed in one of the videos linked to below he states that, "the walls between art and engineering exist only in our minds".

His Beach Creatures are the product of 16 years of work - work which continues today. A heady mix of science, art and nature, they move gracefully across the landscape and seemingly take on a life of their own.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=b694exl_oZo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcR7U2tuNoY

These creatures fascinate me (if indeed they are creatures at all). I am delighted by the way they move and they are made even more remarkable by their use of mechanics over computers for artificial intelligence. I am also intrigued by the idea that they can become self-sustaining, challenge our ideas of intelligence and of life.

I am inspired to explore kinetic sculpture further. I look forward to seeing how this might fit with my work.