The Pulitzer prize-winning cartoonist Rube Goldberg (1883-1970) is remembered for designing “machines” to perform simple actions in strange, convoluted ways. Flick a switch to unleash a sequence of balloons, bowling balls, dominos, marbles and – much later – a light bulb shines bright. Films reference these in comedic scenes, like Home Alone (1990) or Toy Story (1995). They also serve as inspiration for Jonathan Knowles’ (b. 1965) series Complex Simplicity. Here, the award-winning advertising photographer presents mundane tasks accomplished with inventive arrangements of candles, wheels and seesaws. Saturated blue dustpans, green cages and pink wafers pop against pastel backdrops. Some shots prompt deeper reflection. For instance, we see sand sifted through a funnel to refill an hourglass. At a time when technology is becoming increasingly autonomous, the pictures ask: what is the place of analogue machines in a digital world? jknowles.com

1.,2.,3.,4., Jonathan Knowles, from Complex Simplicity. Art Direction: Lauren Catten for Getty Images. Set Design: Kyle Bean. Retoucher: Gareth Pritchard.

5. Jonathan Knowles, from Trajectories. Art Direction: Lauren Catten for Getty Images. Set Design: Kyle Bean. Retoucher: Gareth Pritchard.