Martin Smith is co-founder the design label Laikingland. He creates kinetic devices that explore a variety of themes. Shown here is the latest in a series of kinetic objects that celebrate love. As the handle is turned, two pairs of bevel gears cause the heart to flip and rotate simultaneously.
Materials: Steel, brass and plastic.
Dimensions: Height 33cm / 13”
Power: Hand operated.
Edition: 25
Color: Red, brass and patinated steel.
How would you like to wake up in the morning at just the right time to the sound of a beautiful birdsong? That was the idea behind Bird Song with a Found Feather by artist Martin Smith -- to create a mechanically-operated slide whistle that can be set and activated to go off at a specific time.
The piece as described by Martin Smith:
I wanted a piece that could be set, as with an alarm clock, and would allow you start the day gently. I am interested in producing mechanical bird sounds and seeing the cause and effect through a mechanism. For me the making is very important and I wanted to craft every part of the machine, to understand how the bellows are constructed and operate and to get the bird whistle sounding just right.
The piece is made of steel, brass, fabric, custom electrics a feather, and is powered by a 12v motor. It is a beautifully crafted machine with big brass cams. The feather (shown at right) is attached to a long wire coming from the top of the bellows.
Laikingland will be exhibiting this and other new pieces by Maarten Baas and Martin Smith at Mint as part of the London Design Festival 2012.
What:
Mint presents A Spatial Surprise
When:
September 14th to September 30th, 2012
Where: Mint
2 North Terrace
Alexander Square
London SW3 2BA
For information on price and availability you may contact the Laikingland team at enquiries@laikingland.co.uk
InterPlay: Mechanical Objects will be an exhibit at the Southwest School of Art in San Antonio, Texas. Shown here is a piece by Benjamin Cowden titled Perennial Flux.
From the show description:
All works contain an interactive component empowering the viewer to move the object from the realm of pure aesthetic to experience.
With contributions from artists based in the United States and United Kingdom, it's an all-star line up including Alexis Archibald, Steve Brudniak, Ben Cowden, Kevin Curry, Nathan Dube, Forrest Gard, Keith Newstead, Laikingland, Miel Parades, Gary Schott, and Martin Smith. If you have a chance to see it, do not miss this show!
Exhibition Details: InterPlay: Mechanical Objects
Sep 6, 2012 - Nov 25, 2012
9:00 am - 5:00 pm | Russell Hill Rogers Galleries, Navarro Campus
Opening Reception: Thursday, September 6 from 5:00 - 8:00 pm
Free and open to the public
Shown here is a piece by the clever folks at Laikingland titled Just About Now. Developed in collaboration with Maarten Baas, this wall-mounted kinetic sculpture is actually a sand timer that indicates the passing of time with the sound of a gong.
According to Maarten Baas:
I've always had an interest in ways to indicate time. In spite of the fact that time is very abstract and very relative, in the western world it's normal to indicate time very precisely. Apart from things like train schedules or the duration of sporting games, the exact time is often irrelevant. A coffee break, a meditation, a nap, a business meeting, they could take a few minutes longer or shorter than an exact amount of time. This is why I wanted to create a timer that bangs a gong, more or less after the amount of time you indicated.
Details of the piece Year: 2012 Materials: Oak, glass, ceramic, sand, brass Dimensions: Height 320 mm Width 435 mm Depth 185mm Power: Sand Color: Natural Availability: September 2012
For information on price and availability please contact the Laikingland team at enquiries@laikingland.co.uk
Shown here is a piece called Lazy Chair by Fresh West.
From the video description:
Lazy Chair by Fresh West is an experimental concept piece based upon small wooden animals toys held together by tension springs which when the based is pushed in, the tension is lost and the animal collapses. The chair has a diffident personality of its own which collapses on approach and then rights itself in a random human like manner after a few moments delay.
The clever folks at Laikingland are offering The Miniature Lazy Chair by Fresh West -- a 1:6 scale version of the original. Just push the lever and the chair collapses, after a few moments it too restores itself! This is what The Miniature Lazy Chair looks like:
Here's the latest mechanical creation by automaton-maker Martin Smith.
From the item description:
The Party Popper Machine by Martin Smith continues his theme of devices of celebration for Laikingland. In homage to the humble plastic party toy and to follow his interest in loud bangs, Smith has developed a nonsense machine that elaborately assists you in the firing of party.
Artist Nik Ramage has created a mechanical copy of his own hand that continually drums its fingers.
From the the Dezeen blog:
Called Fingers, and featuring resin fingers cast from Ramage's own, it will be shown by kinetic brand Laikingland at 100% Design at Earls Court, London from 24-27 September.
You will recall the Laikingland are the people that produce the Applause Machine.
