2/3/21: Today’s artist is a mechanical wizard with an amazing eye for design and sense of fun. These are the automata (I always thought they’d be automatons…) by Martin Smith. Often incorporating bright, primary colors, Smith’s entertaining sculptures are witty and joy-inspiring and just plain fun to look at.

Smith is interested in people’s perception and interpretation of space. He creates both small, table-top-sized works and large, architectural commissions that wow passers by. Whether large or small, all of Smith’s kinetic devices investigate “themes of repetition, precision, and rules.”

Martin Smith is also the co-founder and art director of Laikingland, a web gallery that sells small-scale kinetic sculptures. The works the company sells are based in the concepts of humor, nonsense, and futility. I kind of love that!

“Laikingland is a creative label, based in both the UK and The Netherlands, who design and manufacture beautifully crafted kinetic objects that engage, and evoke a sense of play and nostalgia. The company was founded in 2008 and is built upon a life long friendship between artist, Martin Smith and engineer, Nick Regan. Since it’s inception, Laikingland has specialized in producing highly crafted limited editions, working closely with invited artists and designers to realize their kinetic ideas.”

– About Laikingland

You can see more of Martin Smith’s hypnotic work on the Smith Automata website and on Instagram, Vimeo, and Facebook, and you can purchase Smith’s kinetic pieces on the Laikingland website.