The ART and AUTOMATA of THOMAS J. KUNTZ
Haxanthrobotic art, androids, automata, & optical wonders.

".....what would have happened if the Dadaists and Surrealists possessed all the skills of Disney's imagineering department?!....."
--T.kuntz

The pieces in this gallery represent some of the most demanding work an artist can undertake. Each one is initially conceptualized on paper in the form of sketches showing the overall look and some sequence details. These drawings are concerned with the conceptual details only.Another set of drawings deals with the inventive mechanical details that are tailor-made for the sculpture's desired movements.

From here the alchemical process begins with the exquisite clay sculpture that is transformed into a shell. This body houses gears, chains, shafts, cams, levers, cylinders and valves. Many materials are used including carefully machined brass, steel, wood and composites treated as they would have been in centuries past by the classic clockwork makers.

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.

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