News of two exhibitions. Firstly, we are delighted to be exhibiting 14 of our automata at Finton House School in London in the new Emma Thornton Building. CMT has had close ties with the School for many years, and automata making is a key part of the Design and Technology curriculum there. Finton House School […]
Blog
I feel, therefore I am by Paul Spooner
Made in the robotics division of P. Spooner Stithians following their catastrophic failure to produce Artificial Intelligence. Having recorded dismal scores in innumerable Turing tests, it was decided that Artificial Emotion might be an easier target to aim at. Confidence is growing that, after some development, one of these machines will be able to slip […]
The Frog Princess by Paul Spooner
This is an elaboration of the four-faced mechanism. This time a door opens in the body to reveal a cylinder housing the flies. 215 H x 120 W X 60 D One Only. SOLD £650 (excl. VAT) “I started making this thing using one of the boxes I had ready for the other four-faced machines […]
10 Handy Tricks for Woodworkers & Automaton-makers – Dug’s Tips 12
10 Handy Tricks for Woodworkers & Automaton-makers We’ve focused on techniques in this column up to this point. Now it’s time for some small tips that can make a big difference! Here are some woodworking tricks that I have found useful for automaton-making. 1 – Make Your Own Carbon Paper I often use carbon paper […]
Greenwich Exhibition and Workshops
Cabaret Mechanical Theatre in Greenwich 12th Dec 2013 to 22nd February 2014 Visit our small London gallery exhibition, we have an inspiring workshop programme, plus automata from our collection, and a selection of new works. Artists include Paul Spooner, Keith Newstead, Lisa Slater, Simon Venus, Martin Smith, Richard Hackney and others.
Victoriana – The Art of Revival
A new exhibition opens at the City of London’s Guildhall on September 7th, and continues until December 8th 2013. From the macabre to the quaint, the sensational to the surreal, this is the first ever exhibition in the UK to offer a major examination of Victorian revivalism in all its forms. The exhibition will include […]
Four new one-off designs from Paul Spooner (SOLD)
Four new one-off designs from Paul Spooner, all using the same ingenious escapement mechanism for turning the heads. The mechanism is a kind of escapement. There’s a driving wheel constantly trying to turn the driven wheel which has four pins fixed vertically into its upper surface. A brass blade interferes with one of the pins, […]
The Patient by Paul Spooner
A new one-off piece from Paul Spooner. The teeth are made of the last of Spooner’s grandad’s boxwood rules. The jaws ratchet open then shut. Air travels from the bottom bellows up the leg tube into the little bellows. The small bellows is made with a kind of intestinal membrane called zephyrs, used for the […]
Interplanetary Gears by Patrick Bond
Now available to order, this very special design from Patrick Bond. Turn the handle and set your universe in motion. A flying saucer orbits the globe, the gears are made from parts of a bicycle, and the globe is made from welded steel beaten into shape. Height – approx 50 cm Individual customisation available if […]
Michael Landy – Saints Alive at The National Gallery
A series of large-scale kinetic sculptures by artist Michael Landy bring a contemporary twist to the lives of the saints at The National Gallery, London. This new collection of dramatic Tinguely-esque sculptures are enormous, noisy and mainly constructed from refuse. Well worth a visit if you are in the capital. Michael Landy: Saints Alive (2013) […]