We have two one-off pieces from US artist Aaron Kramer for Valentines. Aaron writes: As a child, I fell in love with contraptions, coin-operated amusements and marionettes. The clack and clatter of machinery plus the visual ‘eye candy’ of mechanisms all gave me a thrill. I have always wanted to make things that moved or […]
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Working with Brass, Part 3 – Soldering Brass – Dug’s Tips 15
In previous installments of this column, we looked at some methods for cutting brass and techniques for bending brass for your automaton projects. At some point, you will want to join some of these pieces without the use of screws, bolts, or other hardware. In this, the final installment of our series on working with […]
The Nutcracker: Christmas at Mottisfont
Some of our automata are appearing at Mottisfont, National Trust, as part of their Nutcracker Christmas event. Saturday 29 November – Sunday 4 January 2015 Start your visit with a peek into a twinkling Christmas party, then ascend the staircase to the sound of ticking clocks, to enter the dream mechanical world of the Nutcracker. […]
The Turk by Pierre Mayer
The latest piece from Pierre Mayer is based on the famous life-size automaton, The Chess Player Turk. “It was a project that was in the back of my mind many years ago. I consulted my late friend Christian Fechner who advised me to use moving gears inside the cabinet. Then I asked the legendary John […]
Working with Brass, Part 2 – Bending Brass – Dug’s Tips 14
In the last instalment of this column, we looked at some of the many ways you can cut brass for your automaton project. Once cut, there is a good chance you will need to bend the brass in some way to suit your needs. Let’s take a look at some of the methods for bending […]
The Science of Conversation
We’re delving into the archives to take a closer look at some of Paul Spooner’s automata. This piece is from 2010. “Although it’s tempting to think of ways in which I might have been foreseeing the current double-headed political situation in Britain, I actually thought of this machine while talking to my dad. I realised […]
Finding the Value
In 2011 Peter Madsen left his estate to York Museum’s Trust. Amongst is bequest was his art collection. Finding the Value is an exhibition in which commissioned artists respond to items from the collection and open up questions of the inheritance of cultural values. Artist Simon Venus has created a mechanical tableaux for the exhibition. […]
The Stable by Lisa Slater
This eye-catching wall-mounted piece is from automata-maker Lisa Slater, who works in the creative community of Hebden Bridge, England. ‘The stable was created after a weekend stay on a farm in the Cotswolds. I went out to photograph the stable block early in the morning and as I chatted to one of the horses other […]
Working with Brass, Part 1 – Cutting Brass – Dug’s Tips 13
Brass is a metal that looks good with wood, is easy to work, and can be soldered. You can use it for specific parts or create entire automaton with it! If you are going to use brass, probably the first thing you’ll want to do is cut some. It comes in all kinds of shapes […]
The Only Non-slip Dodo Mat in the World
Paul Spooner reviews a refreshingly new exhibition in Falmouth, Cornwall. The result of collaborations with singers, dancers, actors and other creative types, this show is designed to help answer the oft asked and ofter avoided question; Where do you get your ideas from??
