Automaton-making by master artist and machinist Thomas Kuntz

Thomas Kuntz and his incredible automata have been featured on this blog many times. There is a good reason for this: he is probably the most accomplished artist working in the medium of automata. He designs, engineers, sculpts, machines, fabricates, and decorates every element of his pieces. To be good at any one of these things is a major achievement; to be good at all of them is to be a master of the craft. There are few like him, and he is sure to be remembered as one of the greats. Enjoy this short film he created showing some of what goes into making his amazing auotata.

Here is where you can learn more about automaton-maker Thomas Kuntz.

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"The Usual Subjects" motorized automaton by Tom Haney

Check out this new handmade figurative, kinetic sculpture by Tom Haney. I love this one!

The piece took over 250 hours to make from start to finish. It features hand-carved bodies, heads sculpted from polymer clay, a scratch-built mechanism, and handmade clothes. 8 cams and levers control all the movements, which is powered by a 4.8 RPM synchronous gearmotor.

See more automata by Tom Haney on his web site.

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New motorized kinetic sculptures by Tom Haney to be shown at Obsolete in Venice, California

Artist Tom Haney creates kinetic pieces, which we often refer to here as automata. The bodies for Haney's figures are carved from basswood and the heads are sculpted out of polymer clay. All of the mechanisms are made from scratch. In this new piece, a couple is depicted on a see-saw.

Tom Haney's blog is a wonderful behind-the-scenes look at how he goes about constructing his mechanical creations. Here we see the details of one of the figures and the handlebar mechanism, which keeps the figures upright as they move. This piece will be one of several featured in an upcoming show to feature Haney's work (details below).

Show details:
Obsolete Gallery
September 8th to October 13th

OBSOLETE
222 Main Street
Venice, California
Phone: 310-399-0024

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