Image:
Daniel O’Toole
Voices from the void
(installation shot)
custom welded brass drum with internal resonator and custom circuit board, with motion sensor
50cm diameter x 15 cm
17th Feb — 9th Apr 2023
Simpson Gallery
Voices from the void is an installation of custom made brass drums that sing when interacted with. The set of drums are tuned to a chord, creating an evolving soundscape that resonates in harmony.
The exhibition features nine drums, displayed as wall hanging objects, that when approached, begin to vibrate and produce a sine wave. The drum skins, painted black, act as a void drawing focus to the sound which is being projected; singing to the audience and harmonising with the other drums, the room becomes an instrument, and the audience the players.
The artist Daniel O’Toole explains, “I am interested in observing how the group may behave in these settings; do people coordinate movements to express particular musical ideas? Will the effect of silence and timing become relevant in how people play this piece? Is there a meditative and quiet atmosphere to the installation, or does it bring out people’s inner child, and become joyous and noisy?”
“With no one present, the drums sit silent, so this work only sings when interacted with…the audience behaviour and exploring different social parameters is just as critical to the artwork as the drums themselves.”
Collaborators
Electronics and software engineer:
Lloyd Barrett
Metal fabrication [Red Steel]:
Richie Brownlee
Ari White
Seismo
Ellen Sayers
Polishing:
James Groom
About the Artist
Based in Naarm/Melbourne, Daniel O’Toole makes multi-media works spanning sculptural colour-field paintings, video and sound.
Having worked as a musician and trained as an audio engineer, O’Toole plays a range of instruments and produces experimental electronic music that has been seamlessly integrated into his synaesthetic video works that appear to be moving versions of his paintings.
The range of media and sensory modes of communication have come together to form an expansive practice that deals with natural phenomena. Daniel O’Toole has an almost scientific way of utilising technology and industrial fabrication processes to interface between humanity and the natural world.
O’Toole has exhibited in the NGV, performed live painting at the Powerhouse Museum, and exhibited in the Lyon Biennale of Contemporary Art. His work is held in private collections both locally and abroad in Belgium, France, Holland, China and the USA.