CMT - Tim Hunkin

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Tim Hunkin outside his RubberWorld (2000)

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The Disgusting Spectacle - coin-op Tim Hunkin

Tim Hunkin (b. 1950) was educated as engineer but became a cartoonist for The Observer's Sunday magazine. He researched and drew a strip called The Rudiments of Wisdom for fourteen years. These cartoons have been compiled into a 360 page book, modestly titled, Almost Everything There is to Know. (Currently out of print)

Tim has built coin-operated machines intermittently since he was a child. He had a show at the ICA in 1981 called The Disgusting Spectacle (named after the wooden piece illustrated here which now resides in Cabaret Mechanical Theatre). This was followed by The Art Gallery, a touring show of coin-operated characters looking at and responding to, works of art.

Tim saw the coin mechanism as a good way to circumvent the traditional gallery / artist / collector relationships but he has since abandoned the fine art world.

He has made various clocks for public spaces. e.g. The Water Clock in Covent Garden (with Andy Plant). He was one of the main artists involved in the design and making of the Ride of Life. (A million pound project designed for a shopping centre which was never installed but somehow acquired a cult status.

Tim has made TV three series demystify everyday household and office machines for Channel 4, called The Secret Life of Machines. These have been shown all over the world via The Discovery Channel. In 1995 he completed a new gallery for the Science museum called The Secret Life of the Home. As well as enlivening the collection of domestic appliances and gadgets with his usual humour and insight, Tim has stuffed the gallery with fun things to do.

In 1998 he started collaborating with Sarah Angliss and Will Jackson and formed Mongrel Media, researching, curating, designing and fabricating exhibitions for museums.

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Giant Man

There are currently 8 of Tim's coin-operated pieces in CMT. His figures capture human gestures perfectly with the simplest of movements, perfect timing and minimal modelling. The most recent, the Frisker, looks industrial, has no figure but it's thick rubber gloves will give you an intimate body search if you're feeling insecure.

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Exploding computer robot built for the end of
The Secret Life of the Word Processor (Channel 4)

cinema exterior
Cinema for Eden Project

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Inside the cinema

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Poster for Edinburgh Science Festival

Recently:

Working on a Mongrel Media commission to curate, design and build the exhibits for a visitor centre for the Eden project in Cornwall. Particularly enjoying converting one garden shed into a cinema and another into Rubberworld.

Building a collection box for a medieval castle in Jersey on the theme of Tax Evasion (Jersey is a British Tax haven)

Researching and curating an exhibition about the Cold War for the Science Museum, in collaboration with Sarah Angliss. This involved unearthing a fabulous collection of objects, photos and films recently given to the museum by the Royal Aircraft Establishment in Farnborough.

Designing and building a large interactive exhibit about fear and phobias for The Museum of the Emotions in collaboration with Sarah Angliss. This includes a very dark corridor where the visitor experiences the tingler and the chiller, the International Bureau of Stimulation and Assessment, and a sealed cabinet of phobias.

Performing 1,000 years of Cheating at Science with Sarah Angliss at the Edinburgh Science festival. This includes perpetual motion machines and even dancing maggots. (see poster left)

cheating art

More recent:

He will be at the Science museum, performing How to Spot a Human with Sarah Angliss, August 17, 20.

He will be performing How to Cheat at Art at the Royal Institution on Sept 20th (limited tickets available).

The Human Factor exhibition on ergonomics by Mongrel Media will open at The Manchester Museum of Science and Industry on September 22.

More Tim Hunkin!

Links to other Tim Hunkin sites:

Tim Hunkin's Web Site

Almost everything there is to know by the man himself!

Secret Life Of Machines Guide

Ian Campbell’s personal (but comprehensive) description of each part of The Secret Life of Machines TV series - now hosted on this site.

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The Disgusting Spectacle - coin-op		Tim Hunkin Tim Hunkin (b. 1950) was educated as engineer but became a cartoonist for The Observer's Sunday magazine. He researched and drew a strip called The Rudiments of Wisdom for fourteen years. These cartoons have been compiled into a 360 page book, modestly titled, Almost Everything There is to Know. (Currently out of print) Tim has built coin-operated machines intermittently since he was a child. He had a show at the ICA in 1981 called The Disgusting Spectacle (named after the wooden piece illustrated here which now resides in Cabaret Mechanical Theatre). This was followed by The Art Gallery, a touring show of coin-operated characters looking at and responding to, works of art. Tim saw the coin mechanism as a good way to circumvent the traditional gallery / artist / collector relationships but he has since abandoned the fine art world. He has made various clocks for public spaces. e.g. The Water Clock in Covent Garden (with Andy Plant). He was one of the main artists involved in the design and making of the Ride of Life. (A million pound project designed for a shopping centre which was never installed but somehow acquired a cult status. Tim has made TV three series demystify everyday household and office machines for Channel 4, called The Secret Life of Machines. These have been shown all over the world via The Discovery Channel. In 1995 he completed a new gallery for the Science museum called The Secret Life of the Home. As well as enlivening the collection of domestic appliances and gadgets with his usual humour and insight, Tim has stuffed the gallery with fun things to do. In 1998 he started collaborating with Sarah Angliss and Will Jackson and formed Mongrel Media, researching, curating, designing and fabricating exhibitions for museums.

Giant Man

There are currently 8 of Tim's coin-operated pieces in CMT. His figures capture human gestures perfectly with the simplest of movements, perfect timing and minimal modelling. The most recent, the Frisker, looks industrial, has no figure but it's thick rubber gloves will give you an intimate body search if you're feeling insecure.

	More recent: He will be at the Science museum, performing How to Spot a Human with Sarah Angliss, August 17, 20. He will be performing How to Cheat at Art at the Royal Institution on Sept 20th (limited tickets available). The Human Factor exhibition on ergonomics by Mongrel Media will open at The Manchester Museum of Science and Industry on September 22.

	More Tim Hunkin!