Description
• image code: sb0002
• Strandbeest Playground, Ypenburg
• exposure time 10 seconds
• GPS location 52°02’13.7″N 4°21’15.3″E
Ever since I learned about Strandbeest I was fascinated by the concept. I love how Strandbeest animals live off the wind and roam the beaches of the Netherlands nurtured and guided by their creator Theo Jansen. The history and the coming of age of the different types of Strandbeest is a very interesting story to dive into and the long term vision, experimental nature and persistence of Theo Jansen is very inspirational.
When I heard of a cemetery for Strandbeest exists around the workshop of Jansen I had to go and visit and try to capture the spirit of the place through long exposure photography. By using expired film and an old Agfa Box camera I have managed to get a rough impressionistic look that places the Strandbeest animals in an other worldly environment.
The Strandbeest are like a freezed monuments, pinned like butterflies in an outdoor insectarium by the artist himself. The first look somewhat startled me, it looked like a sad place with the Strandbeest hanging there motionless in the wind. When I spend some time looking for the most interesting shots it grew on me and I realised it is actually a playground as it states in the location settings online. On site you are actually invited to take one or two Strandbeet and take them for a walk. I learned that Theo Jansen is not just an artist, but also a scientist, a naturalist and an educator who loves what he does and respects the animals he created by honouring them with a place close to his heart and sharing them with the public.
Links
Theo Jansen · artist website
Extra info
This image is not for sale, therefore it is noted ‘out of stock’. I am sharing this image and series as an hommage to Theo Jansen and a fascination for his Strandbeest, but I do not have a permission to sell them as of this moment.
