Artist Bill Smith believes that “everything is mechanical and everything can be understood in mechanical terms”. His work often involves building models like the ones above of the perfect disease (top) and the familial structure of social mammals from the same litter (bottom). 

Smith on his work:

Exploring the woods, lakes and streams as a kid provided me a sense of wonder that fueled an interest in nature, science and mechanics. I am in awe of Nature’s functional complexity and aesthetic beauty. Through what I do, I hope to communicate my interest and appreciation of the natural world to the public.