Visiting artist Martin Smith from Leeds, England is an Associate Lecturer at Leeds College of Art and co-founder of Laikingland, a product design practice that develops mechanical objects and devices. Smith’s research and work explore people’s perception and interpretation of space. Alongside this work, his practice is also concerned with making kinetic architectural maquettes that slowly investigate themes of repetition, precision and rules, and kinetic devices that investigate themes of humor, nonsense and futility. Smith will teach a special class while visiting the Southwest School of Art on Nov. 10 & 11. The workshop, Mechanical Noises, will examine and invent means of producing sound and noise through the creation of ingenious mechanisms. Smith won’t be making birds that twitter, but maybe machines that tweet! Advanced Registration is required for Mechanical Noises. The class is on Saturday & Sunday, Nov. 10 & 11 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. in the Willson Metals Studio on the Navarro Campus at SSA. Tuition is $325 and includes both sessions. Visit www.swschool.org to register or call (210) 224-1848. Smith will also hold an Artist Talk on Saturday, Nov. 10 at 4:30 p.m. titled Why Machines? where he will discuss his practice developing mechanical objects. Why Machines? will take place in the Russell Hill Rogers Lecture Hall on the Navarro Campus at SSA. All Artist Talk events are free and open to the public. Class- $325/ ArtistTalk- Free