Automata Mastery – Thomas J Kuntz

I have always been amazed at Automata. I had some relatives that made some very intracate mechanical toys and devices.
Small mechanical wonders that would move and spin as you turned the handle or crank. Somewhere in my boxes of junk I have a piece that continues to amaze me to this day. I have no idea how it works and am hesitant to take it apart. It is a upright piano with a wooden man seated on the piano bench and several characters standing around it etc… as you turn the handle they all do various things and move around, the piano man plays the piano. One of my Fathers uncles made it. On the back of it there is a small piece of missing wood and I can see some of the internal workings, inside there is an amazing array of rods and cranks and levers. It boggles my mind.

I search the web for similar pieces sometimes, somewhere I found the work of Thomas J. Kuntz.

Unlike the quaint automatons of old which usually served as cheeky entertainment and used “found” doll parts in the process in addition to the skills of many specialized artists to complete them. Kuntz does all the work himself to keep the focus and spirit of each piece as it was originally conceived. The focus is on sculpture and the mechanical contrivances are a means to a magickal end. His Personal works are often dark and satirical and are the only of their kind in the world. They have found their way into special collections around the world.

What he does is nothing short of amazing. Inspiring….