If anyone's interested, I found these links. The first is a nice succinct biog of artist Jean Tinguely (the inventor of the Metamatic painting machine 1959), and the second has a couple of images of the machine being demonstrated.

http://www.artcult.com/tingu.htm

http://www2.kah-bonn.de/live/a/ar1e.htm

Thanks Birdsong.

This weekend I pondered for a moment what Metamatic really was. It's not very clear from the pictures but John does a very good impersonation of the painting machine on the album cover.....after all he wanted to be a machine.

Only geniuses like John can think of these ideas and titles. Well done John now for the Polar Music award!

Chris C

Yep, it's the whole "painting with sound" thing.

JFs music is always particularly rich in texture and shape.

And I agree. Wouldn't it be great to see John actually win something for his "outstanding contribution" to British music, or something.
Nothing too mainstream obviously (Best "Male Vocalist in a suit" or whatever) but something

***waves placard***