A Moving Toy Story

Shyam8217;s London Jungle Book emerged from his first London trip six years ago and contains surreal images of the city, with the London Underground represented as a den of writhing snakes. 8220;I came across the book two years ago and was fascinated. Since then I have been trying to bring the images alive on stage through automata. It is a combination of arts and science, engineering and creativity,8221; said Guy, 50, who teaches theatre design at Rose Bruford College in London.

Even as he was designing tiny wheels for his toys, Guy provided the first glimpse into the project. A discarded, cardboard box of an air conditioner innovatively turns into a dog, Shyam8217;s symbol for the red London bus, with head and tail that can be moved by turning a handle. 8220;Automata are created from easily available material, like chopsticks, paper cups and coat hangers, and this encourages the artist to look closely at the surroundings,8221; he said. The Tube was the biggest challenge for Guy and his students, but after several days of hard work, they came up with a large metre-long work in which 8220;all the snakes are snaking along beautifully8221;.

Though collectors of handmade automata willingly shell out large sums in Japan and European countries, the craft hasn8217;t caught on in India. 8220;Automata toys were even found in the pyramids,8221; sighed Guy.