Automata, was the art really lost?

My reclaimed copper and metal object automaton fish, 2nd build.
I read a number of articles that called automaton building a "lost art" when I first started making automatons. Some articles pointed to the early French automatons and even much older works, but basically left any mention of any modern builders.
So, I pretty much assumed that I was helping bring back this art form. Looking back, I realize that was a bit presumptuous of me...lol. In my internet research, I found that there are quite a few automata artists, and some are outright amazing builders.
I think that the fact that some of the early automata creations were built by clock makers that hand made their gears and mechanism parts, is part of why some may have thought it may be a lost art. Not many modern automaton builders have that ability or tooling to do that these days. But, there are a handful of artists that have those skills, so automata is still very much alive and the creative and innovative builders use just about anything these days in creating their amazing works. I'm in good company!
#automata #fishart #rockfish #coppersculpture #floridaartist #floridasculptor #youtubeviral #movingsculptures #kineticart #automaton #oceanart #recycle #upcycle #jeanclaudevanderfield


jeanclaudevanderfield.net
jeanclaudevanderfield.com