The antique pedal carriages, made of painted metal sheet, hung on the roof by straps, date from 1929 and 1960. A 1957 blue pedal “dauphine” is laid on a rustic piece of furniture. On the wall is hung a 1914 motor-tricycle. A bit further, a 1860 belt-driven moped, a 1940’s pram, wooden skis from the beginning of the century, an old comics collection.
A multicoloured unicycle leans against a wall. The world that Philippe created for himself in his little house is filled with outdated-coloured objets, laid at random. As a dream merchant, Phil designed his world like a dream, the one of the child he has never ceased to be.
Pile of games and toys. In the entrance hall, a pair of huge clown shoes lays the cards on the table. Colours of joy, colours of fair, Phil drives away the daily grind.
He puts on one of his fifteen suits of mime-automaton and gets on one of his mounts : unicycle, scooter, tricycle… The former accountant throws his tall figure forward, freezes his expression, jerks his movements. Livening up the street, he is very fond of children’s laughs. He gives endless displays to give rise to their smiles. Flea markets, village places, terraces of cafés, craft and Christmas markets, fêtes, fairs, he goes up and down the county and the surrounding area. One will see him on public highway as well as at families’ places. “I conform to circumstances, I choose my suit according to the themes of the fairs. I like it when children or their parents come nearer to check if I am a dummy or not. Which happens frequently”, he explains.
In his spare time, Philippe makes little jewellery with rocaille pearls and brass wire : flowers, butterflies, jewellery that he offers when he is travelling around from a village fair to another one, in the streets, just to be greeted with another smile.
Nathalie HAMELIN
"YONNE REPUBLICAINE" June 2002



At Easter fair, one could meet an amazing man, able to let anyone share his passion for miming. Philippe, by his real name, nearly sixty years old, is a genius. Each time is a great time for him. The gaping passers-by kindle his crazy play that he diverts by bowing to his guests and raising his top hat. “He is truly alive”. A chainless “Cyclone” Bi cycle is hooked by a small safety-chain to the belt of his trousers and he is wearing a 1900 dress. Wearing half-long white hair, a necklace, a moustache and little glasses, this distinguished man strides along the streets of the locality holding his bicycle by his right hand. He stops and stares, doesn’t move anymore. Children and parents are looking at him wondering : “Is he false ? Is he true ?”
This faultless-looking former accountant freezes his expression and jerks his movements. Children laugh, the automaton likes it and gives endless displays that give rise to other smiles.
SWithout saying anything, he enters Nicole Bachelard’s bric-a-brac trade. There, in the window, the 1900 dressed man is a big hit. He settles in a corner among the old things as if nothing had happened. Surprised, the shopkeeper sees many people coming in to see this strange character and buy a trinket at the same time.
The first rarity of the canton was just born : Phil lighted without knowing it the wick of the detonator “DONZAIS, VILLAGE OF ART”.
April 5th, 2005
Extract of “Le Journal du Centre”

In front of the school-children

Phil the mime-automaton will cause a stir to the pupils tomorrow Saturday when they go out of school. “Why on Earth is he staring at us without fluttering his eyelashes nor moving at all ?” This will perhaps be one of the comments pronounced by the children of the school of Chéu on Saturday morning in front of the school gates. Indeed, they will discover there a show that is as strange as unexpected : Phil, a famous mime-automaton-statue, wearing a top hat, will offer a display of his talent with some artist friends. Besides it is rumoured that a clown will be part of the show ! This completely crazy and spontaneous initiative formed a few weeks ago in this odd fellow’s mind : “I like to please the children and I wished to do something totally new to celebrate my 500 performances in France and abroad”, he underlines, refusing to take himself seriously. He has kept his childish soul !

The into space look

Beside a little private party, to which he invited some friends, Phil is going to parade from 11 tomorrow morning in the streets of the town. Thanks to the complicity of Emile Barbe, in charge of the equestrian centre, and with the agreement of the town council, dressed in 1900 clothes he will wander in a horse-drawn carriage with Marie Edouard de JOLIBOIS his agent-photograph and an accordion-player friend. This is an occasion for the mime-automaton to show himself in his village, which is rather rare for an artist called on from all over the country and even beyond the borders.

Five hours without moving

For more than three years, Phil has adopted many poses as if he were a statue and many characteristic jerky walks.
The idea came to him after a serious domestic accident and a cranial traumatism in 2000. “I had this into space look, I made the most of that”, tells the mime who can remain eyes opened without fluttering his eyelashes for 5 minutes. A made-up blue line under each eye highlights his mesmerizing, amazing and a bit unhingeing look and motionless. “People try to make me laugh, the parents tell their children to annoy me, but I don’t move ! The mime, with his superb white hair, is thus able to pose like a statue for 5 hours without batting an eyelid ! A Boring job ? “Not at all !” assures Phil. “Time never seems long to me, I observe what happens around me.” However, the automaton remains impervious to any external inconvenience : “The loud noises don’t frighten me… I am concentrated… and elsewhere… in another world !!”
AAfter having endured the heavy heats or strong colds and also cramps for a long day, the artist needs a lot of rest. After the streets, he plays the statue in his bed : “I use to sleep for 12 to 15 hours after such performances”, assures this father passionately fond of old toys. In his museum-house this former clown created for himself an unusual world made of dreams and carefreeness.
A bit of JOY that he wants to share with the children !
Emeline HOSPITAL
L'YONNE REPUBLICAINE 17 Juin 2005

Phil the automaton, a mime exhilarated by poetry

His top hat glued to his head and his “Belle Epoque” frock coat put on his shoulders would nearly bring us back to Jean Renoir’s cinematic work. Fitted with his incredible chainless “Cyclone” Bi cycle he takes everywhere with him, Phil the automaton will sustain a good many conversations all along this Sunday. A living statue retreating into immobility, he will remain impervious to the surrounding noises and to the beauty of the party. Not the slightest presence will be able to trouble his fixed dilated pupils. Even not the one of the children who in vain will try to touch him as their parents advised them to do. The amazing character will present the act he has refined for four seasons all over France under the gaping look of onlookers.
Endowed with a childish soul, this fan of mechanical toys living in Chéu found he had a passion for miming in 2001 after a domestic accident. A serious fall from a ladder caused him a serious cranial traumastism of which he has still kept sporadic after-effects.
Did this accident give him this enigmatic and so unhingeing look ? Six minutes without batting an eyelid or eight hours without making the least movement perhaps provide you with a different perception of the surrounding world. “It is a spiritual grace, confides Philippe, which gives a blissful feeling and a comfort to the lonely frozen-beyond-time man that I am…”
Let’s meditate on this humanist lesson considering the difficulty of the exercise.
Thierry BRET
Extract from “L’Yonne Républicaine”

Phil the strange living statue…

The appearance is faultless. Besides the expression remains frozen. The unflinshing man stares at the unfathomable beating of the time with his wide mysterious dilated eyes. Nothing will disturb his motionless. Neither the background nor even a little bead of sweat standing out on the bridge of his nose. As straight as an “i”, Phil probably draws his inspiration out of stoicism. A healthy quality he venerates like an ascetic man fond of silence, jerky movements and serenity. Wearing a “Belle Epoque” suit, he welcomes the bride and the groom on the church square. No one can miss him. Who knows, perhaps he will be the attraction of your wedding…
Wedding fair
February 2006

National holiday in SEMUR (Côte-d’Or) on July 14th 2006

PHIL swapped his accountant suit for the one of a curious character livening up the street : old wooden skis, tricycle, child’s scooter, cyclorower, unicycle, rickshaw… such is Phil the Automaton’s world.
Among this crowd one could notice a somewhat strange – because different – man. Phil, mime and automaton, has kept his childish soul. On his bicycle, wearing a black suit and a hat, PHIL fascinated the onlookers by freezing his expression, jerking his movements, giving dream to everyone. A nice afternoon under the sign of friendliness and sharing.

National holiday in AUTUN (Saône-et-Loire) on July 14th 2006 at “Plan d’eau du Vallon” :

EBeside the associations activities, a West Indian choir came onto stage late in the afternoon to give the numerous spectators various and varied songs… Moreover, PHIL, a mime-automaton, wandered about the crowd all evening long delighting children and adults who thought this man making jerky movements was very amusing.
LE JOURNAL de SAONE-et-LOIRE, July 17th 2006.



Once again, the Local Council for young people of the town of Autun bent over backwards to propose various shows for pedestrians.
Thus, late in the afternoon, PHIL the mime-automaton delighted the children wandering along the lake with his 1900-suit and his chainless “Cyclone” Bi cycle.
LA GAZETTE Du MORVAN July 18th 2006.

EXTRACT OF AN ARTICLE PUBLISHED IN “LE MONDE” IN 2004 !!!

PHIL is a quite outstanding man coming from the “old school”. He knows how to give. He has always been generous. PHIL is an unpretentious man overflowing with humanity and a true rare elegance ! PHIL is one of an “unfortunately” endangered race. He is a sweet and very modest artist.
H.de M.