Words fail for Theo Jansen's marvelous beests! For a boost of your spirits, imagination, and general morale, take a look at these monsterful (wonderful, astonishing) creatures. Note: there was a Cuppa Go post on Strandbeests three years ago, but this is an entirely new post--with so much more!
34 Years of Strandbeest Evolution - This 20-minute video profile of the Standbeest project is well worth the time. View not just the increasingly complex creatures themselves, but learn how these marvelous beests are a fusion of art, engineering, and persevering tenacity—from simple materials, a beautifully elegant new world emerges. I swear these wind-powered creatures are the coolest thing around!
Strandbeest 'Genealogy' - Click on any of the images and learn how one beest design relates to others. Similarly, you can also explore 'Strandbeest Evolution' which illustrates how different periods of beest development trace the evolution of new 'species' of beests. And, of course, when we talk of evolution, the question of fossils immediately comes to mind, and once again, in keeping with Jansen's playful concept of creating new life forms, strandbeests do have fossils.
Strandbeets: The Basics of Movement - In these four short videos, Theo Jansen explains the simple, but extremely elegant, principles of how the beests move.
My Creations: A New Form of Life - In this 10-minute TEDx presentation, Theo Jansen talks about his Strandbeests, why he creates them, and how they work.