Amazing gallery exhibition of contemporary fine art automata in San Francisco

Artwork by Tom Haney

I am thrilled to tell you about an upcoming show at Heron Arts titled Perpetual Motion: Contemporary Interpretations of Fine Art Automata.

It is hard to believe, but this will be among the first gallery exhibition of contemporary fine art automata in the United States.  The group show features eleven well known kinetic sculpture artists.

From the press release:

Curated by Heron Arts director Noah Antieau and Atlanta-based automata artist Tom Haney, exhibiting artists were chosen based on their craftsmanship and lifetime dedication to this artistic medium. Exhibiting artists include: David Archer (AUS), Chris Fitch (USA), Nemo Gould (USA), Tom Haney (USA), Thomas Kuntz (USA), Pat Keck (USA), Richard Landon (USA), Paul Spooner (UK), and husband and wife collaborators Dean Lucker and Ann Wood (USA).

Now THAT is an impressive list of names! You will not want to miss this one.

Here is a nice article about the show that was recently released by SF Station. Here is a recent blog post about the show by Tom Haney.

What:
Perpetual Motion: Contemporary Interpretations of Fine Art Automata

Where:
Heron Arts
7 Heron St, SF, CA 94103

When:
Opens on April 16th, 2016 with a reception from 6-9pm and runs through May 14th, 2016

Gallery Hours: Wednesday through Saturday 3-7pm and by appointment

Website Info:
heronarts.com

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Biodiversity -- a motorized automaton by Paul Spooner

Here is the very latest creation from the legendary Paul Spooner. He's never made an automaton I didn't like. Well...not that I know of, anyway.

Check out the cast of characters he's created for this one! The little hand-carved figures look like they are attached a differential gear within the sphere which causes them to rotate in groups as the entire things rotates as a whole. The articulated joints allow the figures to flop into different positions as they are turned around.

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'Two dogs that meet on a regular basis' by Paul Spooner

Another delightfully simple, but at the same time extremely clever automaton by Paul Spooner. This one features two dogs both of which are connected to rotary indexing mechanisms. As the dogs rotate, their greeting ritual is played out. The piece shows Paul Spooner's wonderful carving style and humor. Made in a limited edition of six, these automata were made almost entirely of recycled materials.

Here is were you can learn more about Two dogs that meet on a regular basis by Paul Spooner.

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Artist Aaron Kramer interviews automaton legend Paul Spooner

What a treat! Here we have artist Aaron Kramer interviewing the inimitable Paul Spooner. I have always loved Paul Spooner's automata. He is one of the main reasons I ever became interested in the subject. I know he has inspired hundreds of others and delighted countless people with his mechanical wit.

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The Mission - a contemporary automaton by Paul Spooner

Check out this wonderful piece by Paul Spooner which may be seen in the special exhibition at the Paul Gugelmann-Museum in Schönenwerd, Switzerland from May 31st to July 6th, 2014.

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Do you want to know how to make wood automata? This book is the place to start.

The name of this book says it all for indeed, it deals with Automata and Mechanical Toys, and it does it well. The book covers the history of automata, contemporary makers, and the construction techniques you will need to start making them yourself.

What will you find in Automata and Mechanical Toys? The chapters of the book are as follows:

1. A Brief History of Automata and Mechanical Toys
2. The Origins of Contemporary Automata
3. Tools and Materials
4. Techniques
5. Making Automaton Mechanisms
6. Theme Projects
7. Design
8. Painting and Finishing

That's pretty much everything you could ask for in book on automaton-making.

The chapter on the history of automata is among the best short treatments of the topic, dealing with the clockwork examples from history and placing the contemporary form that is the subject of the book in context.

Each chapter is interspersed with profiles of leading automata makers, showcasing their work with many pictures and a page or two of information about the artist. The artists featured are among the best known automaton makers in the United Kingdom. You'll see profiles of Lucy Casson, Ron Fuller, John Grayson, Neil Hardy, Andy Hazell, Tim Hunkin, John Maltby, Tony Mann, Peter Markey, Ian McKay, Frank Nelson, Rodney Peppe, Robert Race, Martin Smith, Paul Spooner, Melanie Tomlinson, Douglas Wilson, Kristy Wyatt Smith, Vicki Wood, and Jan Zalud.

The photographs of automata in this book are outstanding. Printed in full color on glossy paper, you can really get a sense for the devices, their construction, and the finishes that add that artistic touch.

The section on tool and materials is quite good and provides some translation of terms for speakers of American English (e.g. a "pillar drill" is what we call a "drill press"). The sections that cover construction techniques are clear and informative. In addition, there are printed patterns for pin-wheels, ratchets, cams, and splined gears. If you are just starting out, these patterns are invaluable.

A particularly cool thing about this book is the section on the automaton mechanism test platform. The reader is given complete instructions for making commonly used mechanical components. These can then be fitted to the test platform in order to see them in action. The final product is a bit like an interactive display at a science museum. The construction and use of this platform would make a great classroom aid or science fair project.

You won't find plans for any complete automata projects in this book. For that, you'll have to turn to one of the author's other books, Making Mechanical Toys, which is a great companion volume. What you will find are instructions for how to make the components you'll need to make an automaton of your own: ratchets, pinwheels, gears, linkages, cams, cranks, a Geneva wheel, and so on. This is really useful stuff.

Somewhere between a how-to book and a coffee table treatment of the art form itself, the book may frustrate those who insist on focusing on just one thing or the other. But, if you love automata, want see examples by well known automata artists, and want to learn more about how to make these wonderful devices, then this book is a must-have. If you were to own just one book on automata making, this is probably the one to have.

Click here to learn more about Automata and Mechanical Toys

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Interview with automaton-maker Matt Smith of Fourteen Balls Toy Company

The Woodworking Projects & Plans site features an interview with British automaton-maker Matt Smith of Fourteen Balls Toy Company. Smith started in the 1980s working in collaboration with one of the other great names in contemporary automata, Paul Spooner. Working on his own now, Smith continues to make ingenious, humorous automata. He accepts many large commissions for public spaces such as the one shown here. In the photo above, the artist poses next to a piece titled The Gun Factory at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, which features five different scenes and numerous figures in motion.

According to Smith, his pieced titled The Boneshakers (above) may be his favorite. The automaton depicts three skeleton cyclists being chased by a dog. In turn, each skeleton spins its heads to see if the dog is still in pursuit.

See more automata by Matt Smith on the Fourteen Balls Toy Company web site.

[ Thanks Charles! ]

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The Kings of England - automaton by Paul Spooner

Here's a great new automaton by Paul Spooner. When the handle is turned the faces of the king changes along with the number designating which king it is. The mechanism is ingenious and delightfully simple, combining a friction drive and a rotary indexing system.

According to Paul Spooner:

In olden times there were serious struggles for the throne of England and being the offspring of royalty was not the guarantee of a life of ease and luxury that it is for today’s genetic lottery winners. To achieve a run of four kings such as this required eternal vigilance and a preparedness to fight dirty. All these monarchs are clearly related to each other as their dental records show. Four kings can only be told apart by the number of teeth they have. On the golden wheel down below is his regnal number (or dental record).

The piece measures 210mm high x 115 mm wide with a depth of 55 mm. This is a 'one off' which means it is the only one available. Here is where you can learn more about and/or buy The Kings of England by Paul Spooner

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Paul Spooner and the automata he creates as 'wooden cartoons'

The BBC just featured one of my all time favorite automaton-makers, Paul Spooner. In the film, we get to see a number of his automata and here his thoughts about them. I could listen to Paul Spooner for hours. Or, at least I think I could. I haven't had the actual chance to listen to him for hours. The Tom Waits song used in the piece is both slightly disturbing and on the mark.

I've always agreed with his notion that his works are a form of cartoon. In his work in particular, his wit comes through in such a strong way, there can be no doubt that most are a form a joke. The analogy works in my mind even for those pieces that are not humorous. As with a single panel cartoon one might see in The New Yorker, the automaton depicts a snapshot in time. To understand the point of the piece, the viewer needs the scene to be set. The background, the objects, the figures, their clothing, expressions and posture -- these things must be carefully considered so that the viewer can quickly understand the broader context of the scene. Without this, the actions performed by the characters might come across as nothing more than simple, arbitrary motions.

Spooner is also brilliant with the titles of his pieces, which provide the right shade of glasses through which to view his work. Of course, his use of mechanics and his carving ability are some of the best around. Put all of this together and you get a body of work that's impressive and distinctive. He's one of the greats.

I think you will enjoy this BBC segment called Twisted toymaker Paul Spooner on his 'wooden cartoons'.

[ Thanks Martin! ]

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The Modern Automata Museum to feature works by top automaton artists at a new exhibit in Rome

There is going to be a fantastic exhibition from the collections of The Modern Automata Museum at the Museum of Contemporary Art of Rome(MACRO) starting next week.

The exhibit will feature works by Malcolm Brooks, Luca De Pascalis, Marina Gigli, Neil Hardy, Marc Horowitz, Rob Ives, Peter Markey, Keith Newstead, Rennie Orsi, Walter Ruffler, Keisuke Saka, Paul Spooner, Susie Stolpe, Carlos Zapata, Eric Williamson, and Guido Accascina.

That is a lineup of some of the top artists in the world of contemporary automata. This is an exhibit you will not want to miss!

What:
Automata Al Macro: Sculture Meccaniche in Movimento

When:
February 16th to March 24th

Where:
Museum of Contemporary Art of Rome (MACRO)

For more information:
Email: info@modernautomatamuseum.com
Visit: www.modernautomatamuseum.com

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Room for Wonder - A film about the magical collections of Richard Garriott

This short film features the many collections of Richard Garriott de Cayeux -- video game developer, entrepreneur, and space traveler. Garriott built Britannia Manor to serve as his observatory, home, and occasionally, a giant interactive haunted house. An avid collector of amazing and unusual objects, Garriott's home could fairly be classified as a museum. In this film, magician Brad Henderson from Austin, Texas takes you through this extraordinary collection, room by room.

Among the countless wonders and secret passages, you will find a collection of historic space-related artifacts in Garriott's office, complete with one of the original Sputnik satellites. In the dungeon, you can stare in awe at the shrunken heads and vampire hunting kits. In the laboratory, you will find esoteric scientific instruments and orreries, mechanical models of the planets moving around the sun.

I know you guys will be most interested in Garriott's automata collection, featuring antiques as well works by almost all of the modern makers. The automata collection, vast as it is, can only be covered in part, but you do get to see the works of three artists who surely deserve the limelight.

First, you see Paul Spooner's inimitable wit and ingenuity play out in his Sex Change Machine and Poisoned Milk automaton. The mechanism that makes the cat's tongue seem to lap up the spilled milk is a fine example of Spooner's cleverness.

Next, you get a close-up view of the Argentinian artist Pablo Lavezzari's piece Facing a Fake Foe -- a detailed automaton-within-an-automaton depicting a knight fighting a dragon. The dragon, as it turns out, is a fake controlled by a small demon figure. The piece is also notable for its mechanically produced dragon roar sound effect.

Finally, you are shown a few of the macabre and magical automata created by Thomas Kuntz. Kuntz hand sculpts each of the figures and scratch builds the all of the mechanical elements for his pieces, often on vintage watchmaker's lathes. His autoamta seem to be the direct descendants of the most exquisite automata of centuries past. His piece titled L'Oracle du Mort is a modern masterpiece, featuring an oracle who -- with the help of two imps, the Grim Reaper, and a burst of real flame -- will answer your questions.

Amidst so many incredible automata, and artists whom I hold in the highest esteem, I'm dazed and delighted that one of my own pieces made it into the footage. A Dug North original, titled The Birthing Engine is shown and mentioned early on. I couldn't be more pleased.

This film is rare look at one of the finest collections of contemporary automata in existence. I am glad it was made and I am glad to have had the chance to share it with you.

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Answering Machine automaton by Paul Spooner helps you say 'NO' to any request

Here's the latest automaton by Paul Spooner. As always is wit is evident in the piece itself. This one also has an especially fun description from the artist:

It's a machine for undertaking thankless tasks; useful for refusing loans and favours of all kinds, invitations to dull parties, requests to take part in surveys, to look after neighbours pets or children, to rescue victims of crime, to take part in the democratic process, to become a collector of automata and to deal with all other questions to which the answer, in our heartless hearts, is "no".

This gem is a one-of-a-kind (or "one-off", if you prefer). Here is where you can see more pictures or buy Answering Machine by Paul Spooner.

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If you were to have just one book on making Automata and Mechanical Toys, this might be the one to have

The name of this book says it all for indeed, it deals with Automata and Mechanical Toys, and it does it well. The book covers the history of automata, contemporary makers, and the construction techniques you will need to start making them yourself.

What will you find in Automata and Mechanical Toys? The chapters of the book are as follows:

1. A Brief History of Automata and Mechanical Toys
2. The Origins of Contemporary Automata
3. Tools and Materials
4. Techniques
5. Making Automaton Mechanisms
6. Theme Projects
7. Design
8. Painting and Finishing

That's pretty much everything you could ask for in book on automata.

The chapter on the history of automata is among the best short treatments of the topic, dealing with the clockwork examples from history and placing the contemporary form that is the subject of the book in context.

Each chapter is interspersed with profiles of leading automata makers, showcasing their work with many pictures and a page or two of information about the artist. The artists featured are among the best known automaton makers in the United Kingdom. You'll see profiles of Lucy Casson, Ron Fuller, John Grayson, Neil Hardy, Andy Hazell, Tim Hunkin, John Maltby, Tony Mann, Peter Markey, Ian McKay, Frank Nelson, Rodney Peppe, Robert Race, Martin Smith, Paul Spooner, Melanie Tomlinson, Douglas Wilson, Kristy Wyatt Smith, Vicki Wood, and Jan Zalud.

The photographs of automata in this book are outstanding. Printed in full color on glossy paper, you can really get a sense for the devices, their construction, and the finishes that add that artistic touch.

The section on tool and materials is quite good and provides some translation of terms for speakers of American English (e.g. a "pillar drill" is what we call a "drill press"). The sections that cover construction techniques are clear and informative. In addition, there are printed patterns for pin-wheels, ratchets, cams, and splined gears. If you are just starting out, these patterns are invaluable.

A particularly cool thing about this book is the section on the automaton mechanism test platform. The reader is given complete instructions for making commonly used mechanical components. These can then be fitted to the test platform in order to see them in action. The final product is a bit like an interactive display at a science museum. The construction and use of this platform would make a great classroom aid or science fair project.

You won't find plans for any complete automata projects in this book. For that, you'll have to turn to one of the author's other books, Making Mechanical Toys, which is a great companion volume. What you will find are instructions for how to make the components you'll need to make an automaton of your own: ratchets, pinwheels, gears, linkages, cams, cranks, a Geneva wheel, and so on. This is really useful stuff.

Somewhere between a how-to book and a coffee table treatment of the art form itself, the book may frustrate those who want to focus on just one thing or the other. But, if you love automata, want see examples by well known automata artists, and want to learn more about how to make these wonderful devices, then this book is a must-have. If you were to own just one book on automata making, this is probably the one to have.

Click here to learn more about Automata and Mechanical Toys

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Renewable by Paul Spooner depicts three wind power generators in action

Here is a new piece by automata legend, Paul Spooner. This one depicts three wind turbines atop small green hills. Titled simply Renewable, the piece is made of pine, lime, alder, aluminum, steel, nylon, brass, bronze, acrylic paint.

True to form, Spooner uses an ingenious mechanism to turn the blades of the windmills. Pulleys, of course, right? Oh, no. Take a good look at the shaft on the side of box moving in and out. That's a clue as to what's going on inside.

Paul Spooner on the details of the mechanism:

This piece employs the well-known Sliding Block mechanism to link the movement of the driving handle to all three turbines. The action is not particularly smooth, in fact it’s downright jerky because of the lack of balance in the turbine blades and the 3 x 352 degrees of lost motion in the transmission.

I adore Spooner's signature dovetail joints which hold the mechanism box together.

Here is where you can read more about (or purchase) the automaton titled Renewable by Paul Spooner.

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Video of the 2012 Cabaret Mechanical Theatre automata exhibit in London

Here is a lovely video showing the current Cabaret Mechanical Theatre exhibit in London. A previous post featured artist and engineer, Tim Hunkin, performing a very unusual "ribbon cutting" ceremony at the exhibit opening. Let's just say it involved a pad lock and angle grinder.

Though the exhibit has only been open a short time, the video starts with a celebration of the exhibit's 5,000 visitor. It just goes to show you how much people love contemporary automata. To a huge extent, we have Cabaret Mechanical Theatre to thank for that.

The video also shows an assortment of automata made from paper, metal, and wood. You will see pieces by many of the artists you might expect from CMT including Peter Markey, Keith Newstead, Paul Spooner, Pierre Mayer, Walter Ruffler, John Lumbus, and others.

The exhibit will be open Tuesday through Sunday until the September 7th, 2012 and is located at:
65 North Cross Road
East Dulwich SE22 9ET

Congratulations to Cabaret Mechanical Theatre on their recent exhibit and ongoing success!

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Paul Spooner interview from the Cabaret Mechanical Theatre archives

Sue Jackson, founder of Cabaret Mechanical Theatre, shared this video from their archives. The clip features an interview with legendary automaton maker Paul Spooner on the TV program This Morning. I love his cheeky answers which are both amusing and completely candid. It's a delightful interview with a clever man.

You can see more of Paul Spooner's automata by visiting Cabaret Mechanical Theatre online.

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Sale on Cabaret Mechanical Theatre book and three DVDs!

To celebrate 30 years of Cabaret Mechanical Theatre they are having a sale! For four days you can get 50% off their book and 3 DVDs. I ordered these on VHS years ago. It is time to upgrade to a more recent format!

Here's where you can learn more about the book and DVD sale at Cabaret Mechanical Theatre. (Valid from the 15th to 18th March 2012.)

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Paul Spooner talk: mechanical jokes for people with short attention spans

Renowned automaton artist Paul Spooner will talk about his work at the Royal Cornwall Polytechnic Society in Falmouth, Cornwall on February 16th at 7.30pm.

From the event description:

Paul’s career as an automaton maker ("making mechanical jokes for people with short attention spans") has included commissions for the Science Museum and Louis Vuitton, as well as a television programme, Mechanisms, on Channel 4. His work combines humour and an obsessive attention to detail with delightful and intriguing mechanisms. Every now and then, he puts together a dossier on his career so far and shows it to a group of people hoping that somebody will be able to spot any kind of progress or system. The last time this happened at The Poly was about eight years ago. Let's have another try.

Here is where you can learn more about the talk by Paul Spooner and book tickets if you will be in the area.

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Mechanical gift idea #7 - Not Yet fish automaton

It's not often one has a chance to purchase a genuine automaton by Paul Spooner for 41.5 GBP or about $64 USD. It stands to reason then that it's not often one has the chance to give a gift of a Paul Spooner automaton! Do it.

A bit about this piece from Spooner himself:

Another piece that exploits the attractive/repulsive effects of neodymium magnets. The handle turns a cylinder in which a magnet is inserted radially so that its poles alternate, causing a magnet buried in the fish to feel attracted or repelled by turns. The foil, which is pure tin and beautiful stuff in its own right, stops the fish from becoming airborne.

Clever, beautifully made, and from the workshop of a modern master. You can order Paul Spooner's limited edition automaton Not Yet from the Cabaret Mechanical Theatre web site.

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The Turk, writing automaton by Paul Spooner

Paul Spooner tips his hat to automata of the past and adds his unique wit to this new piece. Having just finished reading a book on The Turk: The Life and Times of the Famous Eighteenth-Century Chess-Playing Machine, I am delighted to see this one. This version of the Turk has taken on challenges beyond chess including the Rubik's Cube and Sudoku. I'd have to rank this among my favorites now. Just brilliant.

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