Van Sant is reknowned for his design of large-scale kites.  His flying sculptures have been flown and exhibited at a dozen museums in the United States and Europe.  He was the first to use the modern materials of fiberglass tube and nylon fabric in kite construction.  As such, he is recognized in the kite world as the Father of Modern Kite Making. 

 “Jacob’s Ladder” was first exhibited in 1976 at the Institute of Contemporary Art in London. It consists of 200 segments, lifts up to 2000 pounds, measures 1/4 of a mile in length, and can be climbed by a person into the sky.