”The Widow’s Jar” automaton by Thomas Kuntz

Check out the latest automaton by Thomas Kuntz! A dark humor is featured in this automaton, which is titled The Widow's Jar. This hand-made edition of six is influenced by Gothic Horror and Film Noir. Exceptional work!

See more automata by Thomas Kuntz on his web site.

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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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The Emperor's New Clothes by Kazuaki Harada

Here is one of the latest automaton designs by artist Kazuaki Harada. I love the subtle timing of the arms and head!

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The Meditator - a mechanical cartoon by Tom Borromeo

Check out this very funny automaton by Tom Borromeo titled The Meditator.

See more Mechanical Cartoons by Tom Borromeo on his web site.

[ Thanks Dave! ]

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The Unwelcome Dinner Guest automaton by Dug North has a new price for the holidays!

I've changed the price for The Unwelcome Dinner Guest for the upcoming holiday season. I've also decided to include one of the original pencil sketches I created when designing the piece. Here is a gift you cannot get anywhere else!

The automaton depicts a backyard scene with a picket fence, doghouse, and birdhouse mounted to a pole. Apparently the dog has recently been fed because his bowl is overfull with food. Sadly for the dog, his leash has become wrapped around the birdhouse pole and he cannot reach his food bowl. This situation provides the perfect opportunity for the local bird to enjoy a big meal, free of charge. All the poor dog can do is wag its tail, jump, and bark at the bird.

An article I wrote on how to make the piece was featured in a magazine called 'Gizmos & Gadgets' (shown at right).

Here is the page on my site the shows the video, images, and purchasing details for The Unwelcome Dinner Guest by Dug North.

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The enchanting rustic automata and 'organic mechanic' of artist Blair Somerville

Please check out this charming video about Blair Somerville -- an artist and self-described tinkerer located on New Zealand’s South Island. The film by Joey Bania is titled Lost & Found.

From the video description:

For over ten years Blair has single-handedly owned, operated and ceaselessly expanded the Lost Gypsy Gallery, his wonderland of homegrown wizardry and a playground for kids and adults alike. Using only recycled materials, Blair takes DIY to artistic extremes. His creations are ingenious, interactive, and often hilariously impractical. They take many shapes and forms and share an uncanny ability to amaze, entertain and inspire.

I love the use of stop-motion animation in the film. The effect complements Somerville's playful, imaginative style of creativity.

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New paper model kit titled 'Chocolate mousse' available at cool4cats.biz

Have you ever checked out the paper automaton kits sold at cool4cats.biz? If not, they have some really amazing stuff. Shown here is their latest kit title Chocolate mousse.

As will all of their kits, to compete it you will need a hobby knife and some white glue. Step-by-step instructions are included

You can get this an other paper automaton kits at cool4cats.com.

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Automaton of feasting raccoons by Al Conquergood

The Lee Valley woodworking newsletter this month features the automaton art of Al Conquergood of Etobicoke, Ontario. Here is one of his automata titled, Urban Terrorists. The miniature book is an especially nice touch!

From the video description:

This piece features two raccoons, Boris and Ursula fine dining in a local galvanized garbage can, the norm before modern recycle bins. They each turn their heads, move their eyes, open their mouths, waggle their tongues and move their arms and wag their tails. Boris waves a rotting grape around excitedly and clutches a wiggling fish protectively in his hand and hiding it from Ursula who seems a little more casual about dining. Occasionally a mouse "lounging" on a piece of fresh cheese rises to the can's brim to survey the neighborhood. Dinner is served amongst a wide variety of garbage including banana peels, decaying grapes, bottles, rancid tomatoes, a pop can, bones, rotting apples, a broken gear, washers and a discarded instructional book on building automata.

Here is where you can see more automata by Al Conquergood.

[ Thanks Charles and John! ]

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Even the Grim Reaper is entitled to a break for lunch

Here is an automaton by Tim Donald titled Lunch Break. The piece depicts two characters sitting on a bench in the park. Even the Grim Reaper is entitled to a break for lunch! As usual, I love Tim Donald's rich carving style. I've never tried a skeleton, but it seems that most of the well-known automaton makers have done one at some point. Time to add it to the list.

You can see more automata by Tim Donald on his web site.

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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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Knitting clocks redefine the way we measure time: 1 scarf = 1 year

What you are looking at in the photo above are pieces by designer Siren Elise Wilhelmsen. As you might guess by the title of this post, these unconventional timepieces knit with actual yarn. Over the course of days and months, time is measured in row upon row of knitting. In 365 days, the clock will produce a scarf approximately 2 meters long.

According to her web site, "Her aim is to make functional and sustainable design with personality and humour; products that challenge the meeting between man and his surroundings and that offer a new kind of interaction with them." I would have say that she was entirely successful with this design, redefining how we measure time, what a meaningful length of time might be, and creating something useful in the process -- an tangible reminder of a year gone by to wrap around one's neck on a cold day.

See more designs by Siren Elise Wilhelmsen on her web site.

[ Thanks Glenn! ]

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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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Book on humor in craft to feature automata art

If you've spent any time reading The Automata / Automaton Blog, you know that an element of humor is common to many automata, especially the contemporary ones. This fact wasn't lost on the creators of the book Humor in Craft. They have included the work of at least one automata artist, namely Jim Kransberger. One of his pieces is shown on the cover (the red-headed potter). Three others will be found within the book which can be ordered now, though it is due out in March of 2012.

From the book description:

What happens when professional craft artists are allowed to let loose – when they get to explore their mischievous and irreverent sides? Find out in this groundbreaking book, which, for the very first time, reveals an entirely different side of "serious" craft. Hundreds of images and essays from all over the world allow you to gain insight into the creative minds of contemporary artists like never before. A variety of traditional craft media are shown, such as furniture, ceramics, glass, fiber, jewelry, and metal, as well as a number of unique, nontraditional techniques.

Here is where you can get the book Humor in Craft.

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Monkey See, Monkey Do automaton

A few days ago, we saw a clever automaton using a free figure by Deane Benninghoven. If you dislike clowns that you will LOVE this next one!

Though the artist studied watchmaking, he deliberately tries to avoid mechanical repetition, preferring to use a simple mechanism to bring detailed figures to life. I would say he has succeeded.

Measuring 16.75 x 16 x 5 inches, the Monkey See, Monkey Do automaton is made of wood, polyurethane, polymer clay, epoxy, brass, silk, felt, steel wire, pigments, and pennies.

See more art by Deane Benninghoven on his web site.

[ Thanks Julia! ]

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Grim Rover by Artist Steve Armstrong

Take a look at this gorgeous piece of animated wooden sculpture by Steve Armstrong entitled "Grim Rover".

Here's a short article on Steve's process of work.

See more of Steve Armstrong's at the John Pence Gallery.

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