Nice Dog | Alonzo Berggren Folk Art Automaton

Details

Description

Artist: Alonzo Berggren
Date: c. 1930s-1940s
Medium: Painted wood, metal, and mixed materials
Style/Movement: American Folk Art / Outsider Art
… Read more Artist: Alonzo Berggren
Date: c. 1930s-1940s
Medium: Painted wood, metal, and mixed materials
Style/Movement: American Folk Art / Outsider Art
Handcrafted mechanical automaton depicting a walking figure pursued by a stylized black dog, accompanied by a humorous hand-lettered sign reading "Nice Dog Don't Bite I Didn't Steal This Chicken." The figure is painted in bold colors including blue trousers, green polka-dot vest, and black jacket, while the dog features exaggerated teeth and a curved, animated form. Mounted on a stained wood base with exposed metal linkage, pulley wheel, and articulated rods designed to create motion. Brass nameplate on base reads "Alonzo Berggren, 3517 Vermont Ave., Elmira, N.Y." A vivid example of regional American folk engineering combining narrative humor with mechanical ingenuity. See less