1995, Neil Hardy

1995 was a turning point for Tumbleweed when I discovered the brilliant, British automata maker, Neil Hardy! Until then I had carried only American crafts.

Automata was a category of contemporary crafts that was a trend in England but which was unheard of in France and in the U.S. These clever mechanical sculptures seemed to lend themselves to British humor! Quirky and absurd!

As a side note, in contemporary automata the mechanism is revealed, whereas in traditional automata it is concealed.

This was my introduction to a whole new world of British crafts, automata and toys!