Mechanical bird automaton by Keith Newstead based on a painting by Ralph Steadman

The wild automaton shown in the video above is the product of a collaboration between British cartoonist Ralph Steadman and automaton maker Kieth Newstead, who has been featured countless times on this blog. The piece is based off of one of Steadman's many paintings of exotic, fanciful, and/or extinct birds (or 'boids' as he calls them). In fact, he has recently released a book titled Extinct Birds Boids.

From the description of book Extinct Boids:

Ralph documents them all in this series of remarkable paintings, featuring unique interpretations of well-known birds such as the Great Auk, Passenger Pigeon and Dodo, along with less familiar members of the feathersome firmament - Snail-eating Coua, for example, or the Red-moustached Fruit Dove - and a variety of bizarre beasts including the Gob Swallow, the Long-legged Shortwing and the Needless Smut. All are captured in a riot of expression and colour, with a slice of trademark Steadman humour. Based on emails, diary entries and phone conversations, Ceri's accompanying text provides a running commentary, detailing the unfolding madness behind the creation of each piece in Ralph's extraordinary work.

Here is where you can see more work by Keith Newstead. And here is were you can the amazing assortment of works by works by Ralph Steadman.

---