It’s not often that P. Spooner, the well-known European automaton maker, has a new idea for a Valentine’s Day offering. This year is no exception; he made one of these for a secret lover many years ago and almost forgot he’d done it. Rugged carving and the painterly application of expensive pigments are complimented by […]
Johann Knopf: a Machine with Whirling Birds
A new edition by Paul Spooner. Twelve wooden birds rotate on four axes in imitation of one of Johann Knopf’s drawings. Knopf, also known as Knüpfer, died in Wiesloch asylum in 1910. He was a patient of Dr Hans Prinzhorn, one of the first psychiatrists to become interested in, and respectful of, the creative works […]
Curious Contraptions at the Exploratorium
Our latest touring exhibition, Curious Contraptions will be at the Exploratorium, San Francisco, from 17th November to Jan 29th 2017. The exhibition features work from 15 different artists, both from the UK and USA and a series of automata making workshops will accompany the exhibition. To learn more about this exciting event, visit the Curious […]
Peter Markey 1930-2016
We are very sad to announce the death yesterday, November 2nd, of Peter Markey, aged 86. Peter was the first automata artist to start making work for us in 1979 and he continued to make automata for almost 50 years. His deceptively simple style and insistence on using the most basic materials belied his ingenuity […]
A Curious Turn
The Crafts Council’s new touring exhibition, A Curious Turn: Moving Mechanical Sculpture will celebrate 40 years of British automata and a preview of the exhibition will open 15 September at Habitat’s King’s Road Platform Gallery as part of London Design Festival before the full exhibition with 40 automata embarks on a two-year nationwide tour.