Here is a list of some artists that use machines:
Alexander Calder – While he is best known for his mobiles, which seem so serious, you can’t forget about Calder’s Circus.
Alice Aycock – Some of the works are actual functioning large scale machines while others just use machine imagery.
Arthur Ganson – Ganson make lots of little theatrical sculptures.
Chris Burden – Burden investigates a lot of massive machines and systems, he makes bridges, flying steam rollers, and complex mini car tracks among other things. (google chris burden metropolis)
Jean Tinguely – Tinguely is sort of the patriarch of mechanical sculpture. My favorite project of his is a self destroying machine.
Joseph Herscher – This guy, who is essentially a character from Flight of the Concords, makes awesome rude Goldberg machines.
Marcel Duchamp – Most of Duchamps ready mades were parts of machines, he used machanical imagery in lots of his work, and machines to create interesting optical effects.
Mika Rottenberg- Rottenberg creates human/machine systems and uses them to shoot videos, they are awesome and funny.
Peter Fischli and David Weiss – These guys made the film The Way Things Go, which captures a giant Rude Goldberg machine in action.
Phoebe Washburn – Washburn’s installations create systems to grow plants or make food.
Sadarshan Shetty – An Indian artist whose works range from very poetic to very lewd.
Stelarc – Stelarc makes complex electronic prosthesis.
Tim Hawkinson –Hawkinson is one of my favorites and a big influence on my work. His machine are so interestingly crafted; they are insanely complex and very idiosyncratic.
Zimoun – Zimoun creates sound installations with mechanically prepared everyday objects.
Here are some Links That are useful for making machines or that might inspire ideas:
Bizarre Patents – Diagrams of crazy machines
Gear Template Generator – This is useful for making templates of gears.
Levers – The Wikipedia entry on levers, this is very useful for understanding the types of levers and how they work.
Pulleys– Pully’s are useful for changing the direction of forces and gaining lots of mechanical advantage.
-Aaron