The Flipbook Machine is more than just a captivating artwork; it is a testament to the power of invention and a celebration of nature. 

Created by New York based artist J. C. Fontanive in the Animation Masters Degree program at the esteemed Royal College of Art, London, in 2004. The Flipbook Machine has evolved into a special series of limited edition handcrafted artworks.  

The Flipbook Machine brings to life the ethereal beauty of hummingbirds, butterflies, and moths captured in playful perpetual flight. Inspired by these exquisite creatures and their delicate ecosystems, Fontanive made a steadfast commitment to align his artistic practice with sustainable principles. 

From his Queens-based studio, each Flipbook Machine is meticulously crafted from scratch, adhering to age-old practices of craftsmanship. Designing the mechanism over time, the animations and machines have informed each other's development – insect wings flickering like paper, and paper cards flapping at the rate of insect wings

Contact the artist for more information or to arrange a studio visit. 

J. C. Fontanive was born and grew up in Cleveland, Ohio and received his BA from Syracuse University, and an MA from The Royal College of Art, London. His work has been shown at The Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit, The Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville, The Contemporary Art Society, London, The Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil, Museum Meermanno Huis van het Boek, The Hague, The Gulbenkian Foundation, Monash University Museum of Art, The Oliver Ranch Foundation, Columbus Metropolitan Library, Tyler Museum of Art, The Nassau Museum of Art, Limerick City Gallery of Art, Ireland, The Center for Book Arts, among others. Fontanive won the 2018 Brooke and Hap Stein Emerging Artist Prize, MOCA Jacksonville and The Desmond Preston Drawing Prize, The Royal College of Art, and has been awarded residency at The Marble House Project, VT. Fontanive lives and works in New York, NY.