Ton Oostveen
The dream to fly is the inspiration for Aerial Artist/KineticusTon
Oostveen.
Structures in nature, mathematical forms and the illusion of the
perception, play a role in designing Aerial Art/Kinetics; everything,
also on the ground, that moves on the wind or inflates itself or flies
into the air in cases tethered on a line.
The contrast between heavy materials (stainless steel), ultra light
nylon or transparent sails, plexiglass, carbon fibre are to be found
in his work. The expression styles are divers in : photography, flying
sculptures, installations and monumental moving objects (kinetic)
mostly on wind power or intermediate by electric current.
His work is situated in the border areas of design, art and the
application of science and technique.
An international Kite Festival exclaimed the theme : water, space, air, fire, earth. for their participants. By re-studying Plato and Aristoteles I found their associations with these elements. Like dodecaeder for space. Next technical/aero dynamic problem was how to suggest the solids do fly, tethered on a line. Whereas solids/balloons don't fly on a line, they are instead pushed down by the wind. By re-projecting the sails within the black outlined structure of the dodecaeder was no option. The surfaces are in too many convergant angles and the the structure could not be created by tensegrity principles. So by a full 2D illusion, wide dacron tape suggests the front and narrow tapes on a flat transparent suggests the third dimension. This was the only option which works well on a distance in the sky, or eyes half shut.
An international Kite Festival exclaimed the theme : water, space, air, fire, earth. for their participants. By re-studying Plato and Aristoteles I found their associations with these elements. Like octaeder for air. Next technical/aero dynamic problem was how to suggest the solids do fly, tethered on a line. Whereas solids/balloons don't fly on a line, they are instead pushed down by the wind. By re-projecting the sails within the black outlined structure of the octaeder in one direction, wind can stream through and lift the structure. The form is constructed by the tensegrity principle, using dacron tape for the outlines and only two crossing square transparant surf sails (instead of 8), tensioned by 5 rods instead of 12.
An international Kite Festival exclaimed the theme : water, space, air, fire, earth. for their participants. By re-studying Plato and Aristoteles I found their associations with these elements. Like icosaeder for water. Next technical/aero dynamic problem was how to suggest the solids do fly, tethered on a line. Whereas solids/balloons don't fly on a line, they are instead pushed down by the wind. By re-projecting the sails within the black outlined structure of the icosaeder in one direction, wind can .pass through and lift the structure. The form is constructed by the tensegrity principle, using Dacron tape for the outlines and only 10 transparant surf sails (instead of 20) and only 12 rods instead of 30.