In the Justice League of Extreme Craft superheroes, British renaissance man Tim Hunkin looms large. If the guiding principal of this site is the "Whim of Iron", then Hunkin would be its patron saint. You may know him from his television series, "The Secret Life of Machines", which was shown here in the United States on the Discovery Channel. Hunkin possesses an intellect that manages to combine piercing inquiry with pure whimsy. The series, with its endearingly lo-fi cartoons and sound effects, dissects everyday bits of technology like the computer and central heating, explaining how they work... and how they changed society as we know it. You can watch all of the episodes of the show FOR FREE on Google Video! You'll come away a much better person for it.
Hunk is also an inventor with a seriously artistic streak. His arcade machines have been collected at the Under the Pier Show, and include an "instant weight loss" machine, a machine that frisks you automatically with rubber gloves (!), a dive simulator, a mini-vacation machine, an art-expert automaton, and MUCH MORE. The British should make this arcade a national treasure--it contains more human joy in its little finger than all the Chuck-E-Cheese pizza joints in the world. Hunkin's Dadaist tendencies also extend to other machines that he tailors to particular situations. To the left, witness a picture of the Beer Bottle Claw Machine that he built for his daughter's wedding. Maybe the beer got a little fizzy after being dispensed by the claw... but that's the price you pay for being in the presence of true genius.
Hunkin also makes all manner of clocks--from the domestic to gigantic mechanical public water clocks. The YouTube video at the beginning of this article shows an early clock that combines digital circuitry with mechanical figures. Typical of Hunkin's ouevre are the tiny figures that populate the circuitry....like a tacit acknowledgement that despite all of the wires and engineering, everything is controlled by little men after all.
Like the true godfather of DIY that Hunkin is, his website is peppered with information on creating your own machines. He delights in pulling back the veil (or removing the screws from the plastic case) to show his audience how things really work. The Secret Life of machines is filled with this infectious glee--you'll be shocked to find out how much you wanted to find out about things you never gave a second thought to in your ordinary life.
Hunkin is also a cartoonist, an author...and a philosopher of sorts. He possesses a thoroughly artistic nature, but has never found his niche in the art world. His website contains a great narrative of his brushes with the art world, as well as an illustrated history of art snobbery. Though he has shown in galleries and is represented in major collections, Tim Hunkin gets his thrill from the act of creation, constantly pushing against whatever boundaries he encounters, and doing so with amazing wit and grace. Tim Hunkin--Extreme Craft salutes you as a pioneer and innovator of the highest order.
LINK to TIm's website LINK to The Secret LIfe of Machines website LINK to Secret LIfe of Machines videos on Google.
