Going to Kinetica (picture above is from kinetica) the other week reminded me about the Cabaret Mechanical Theatre, specifically the work of Tim Hunkin, who will be a fondly remembered hero to many (which makes it sound like he's dead, he's not). He used to do a brilliant cartoon in The Observer called The Rudiments Of Wisdom, and that's now collected here. He made a fantastically quirky series called The Secret Life Of Machines - a lot of which has made it to YouTube. The piece where he demonstrates how video tape works with sticky tape and rust is typically, quietly brilliant. (And you can see almost every thing from the series here on google video.)
But the moment that caused my biggest grin while re-discovering Hunkin was finding that he's installed loads of his arcade machines on Southwold Pier. I'm especially excited about The Quantum Tunnelling Telescope.
I'm thinking this makes Southwold Pier the perfect winter weekend day-out destination. Anyone fancy coming along?
Hunkin is a genius. My honeymoon was strategically planned so that I could mess about with his machines on Southwold Pier. He also built a really clever water clock further up the pier, and you can buy a book of his experiments in the arcade itself. I reckon Arthur would love it. And you would too (seeing as the pier has a good cafe that serves ebcb).
Posted by: dan at innocent | January 13, 2007 at 11:38 AM
I think he also collated The Rudiments Of Wisdom into a book called Almost Everything There Is To Know. You can find it on eBay or Amazon every now and then. When I get stuck for stuff to write at work I often spend 10 minutes with the big Hunkin book. Helps to re-energise the mind.
Posted by: dan at innocent | January 13, 2007 at 11:44 AM
Thanks Russell - not someone I'd come across before.
Posted by: Dave Walker | January 13, 2007 at 12:00 PM
Russell, your counter says you've had over 1 million - vistors? hits? Still, what a stupendous achievement. Congratulations.
Posted by: Carol | January 13, 2007 at 06:21 PM
This stuff reminds of a cool commercial for BMW. It´s also about a Kinetic Engineer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7Ny5BYc-Fs
Posted by: Tim Keil | January 14, 2007 at 05:53 PM
Oh no - I was in Walberswick on Boxing Day - so close yet so far.
Posted by: Charles | January 14, 2007 at 10:13 PM
Russell. I think you would also enjoy Jon Kessler's work. He is an impressive artist who happens to also be in a band with the (late, great) Robert Longo. This is Kessler's site: http://www.jonkessler.com/. Check into the Archive. Kessler shows at Deitch Projects in NYC, so if your ever there, stop by. Take care....
Posted by: iv whitman | January 16, 2007 at 03:25 PM
Every year we spend a week of vacation in Southwold and always visit pier. Not surprisingly, our 3 year old loves the clock (so do I). Thanks for the Hunkin info.
Posted by: Peter A. Mello | January 22, 2007 at 03:00 AM