“I thought I could help those people who are appalled by the current condition of the world by providing them with little wooden figurines that would offset their impulse to scream by doing the screaming for them. I’ve made 12. The boxes of machinery underneath them are all of the same design, causing them to swivel their bodies and open their mouths wide in a silent yell.

The figures are all different; there’s a mixture of genders and skin colours. Their outfits all have different patterns. At Number Eleven I thought of a pattern composed of monosyllabically rhyming motifs. I wish I’d thought of it earlier. As it is there’s only one example: Suns, Buns and Guns- I had already decided to decorate the twelfth with  watermelons.

Technical note: The mechanism employs a lot of brass cranks, rods and levers. The wooden boxes are made from an architect’s drawing table and the bodies of the screamers from a plank I found outside. The paint is Liquitex, a famous American brand which for the time being is made in France.” Paul Spooner, 2025

Hilary Sparshott Number 4, wears a stylish orange smock with a bilberry pattern. Bilberries make the most delicious fruit pies. Scandinavians eat them a lot but we can’t get them easily. You have to grub among the bushes for them and they aren’t often there.

Alan Smith Artistic green/blue shirt colour with complementary orange spots means he’s visible from a long distance even in subdued light. His mouth opens to about 83º, making him one of the most demonstrative yellers. Alan is number 6.