Artist Tobias Gutmann spreads smiles around the world with his special portrait booth.
Some people choose to travel the world in special ways, from riding motorcycles to creating architectural sketches of the cities they’ve visited. Swiss illustrator, storyteller, graphic designer and artist Tobias Gutmann chose to bring along a portable portrait booth – just not quite the automatic electronic machine you use to take passport photos and the like. Face-o-mat is an analogue tool for social interaction to make people happy. The machine comes with special buttons, sound effects, and the artist himself waiting behind it to talk to users and create a whimsical illustration of your face.
From Europe to Africa and Asia, the Face-o-mat has traveled more than 40,000 km and rendered over 700 faces in various cities including Milan, Dar es Salaam, Tokyo and London. The machine’s façade is often repainted to display the local language. It first operated in Stockholm, originally made of cardboard Gutmann had found in the trash, before being upgraded to an even more compact size no bigger than a suitcase made with MDF or medium-density fiberboards to better withstand travelling. There are slots to keep Tobias’ tools like pens and inks, much like an artist’s toolbox.
The premise is to get your minimalist picture drawn in three minutes. Those who are interested may take a seat in front of the booth, insert a small amount of money through the designated opening and adjust the available levers to determine how their portrait will look. Do you prefer colorful or black-and-white? Au naturel or with a quick facelift? Classical or a more abstract, avant-garde interpretation? Gutmann’s face will appear in the small window and begin drawing as he engages you in conversation. When it’s done, your portrait will slide out of the slit with a fancy printer sound effect.
It’s a simple process with a simple mechanism that no modern, automatic machine can offer. Gutmann believes that despite the rapid growth of technology that makes daily life easier and more efficient, machines cannot replace a simple smile. That’s what got the Face-o-mat started – and it will be the reason to keep it going.
