Robert Race, b. 1943, Worm Time, a hand-operated automaton, driftwood, metal mesh (rusty), wire, cotton, stone, signed and dated 1996, approx. 28.8cm high, 34cm wide, 6.1cm deep; together with six other pieces by the same artist, to include: Flying Owl Robert Race, driftwood, feathers, cotton, stone, with wall mount, approx. 17.5cm excluding feathers, 170cm high max; and Blackbird and Wasp, wood, wire, feathers, signed and dated 1996, approx. 19.5cm high, 22cm wide, 2.5cm wide; and four others (7)

Sir Nicholas Goodison noted:

Worm Time: The bird feeds a rusty wire worm to her young on the metal mesh nest. She dips towards the chick who opens his mouth wide in hopes of a juicy meal. This is a typical work of Robert Race, with its imaginative use of pieces of driftwood (his favourite collection ground is Chesil Bank) and its simplicity of movement. Pressing the lever raises the dowel supporting the chicks head, turning it sideways to receive the worm as a pin follows a slanted groove at the bottom of the sleeve of the neck. Cotton attached to the back of the chicks upper beak tautens as the head is raised and opens the beak wide. At the same time the lever relaxes the cotton attached at one end to the mother and at the other to the stone weight, so that the mother dips her head with the worm towards the chick. The stone weight restores the actors to the start when the lever is released. The name Worm Time arose in conversation with Race.

Flying Owl: The owl flies downwards (only downwards), pulling the stone weight upwards. His wigs whirr round in a frenzy of flight. When he reaches the stone at the bottom, he can be pulled up again, by pulling the stone downwards, to the pulley wheel in order to start again.

Blackbird and Wasp: The blackbird to lunges with open beak as the wasp flies within eating distance when the lever is pressed down, but (as is usual with automata of this type) the bird doesnt catch the wasp and can have another go.

Provenance:

Flying Owl: Purchased, Robert Race, Robert Race, exhibition Thats the way to do it: Moving toys and automata by Robert Race, Quaker Gallery 21 November to 10 December 1994, December 1994.

Worm Time: Purchased, Robert Race, October 1996.

Blackbird and Wasp: Robert Race, October 1996. Exhibited, A Collectors Collection, Strawberry Hill, June-November 2014.

Note: Robert Race, b.1943, exhibits his moving toys, automata, and kinetic sculpture in Britain and internationally.He is a member and past Chairman of the British Toymakers Guild. His work often incorporates a wide range of natural, re-used, and recycled material to make objects which move in simple but interesting ways.

Roseberys do not guarantee the working order of any automata or toy.