Daniel O’Toole was born in 1984 in Sydney, Australia. He is a multimedia artist working in Naarm (Melbourne), Australia and Brussels, Belgium.

Building on the Los Angeles ‘Light and space’ movement of the 1960’s, his work is positioned in the post-digital context of contemporary Australia. Working across the mediums of painting, video, sound, and installation, he blurs the lines between disciplines – always looking for an outcome that unites the various aspects of his practice in a cohesive way. 

His work embraces imperfection and low-resolution modes of recording as an aesthetic decision. He makes videos of natural phenomena to use as a reference for paintings. These time-based works are a conflation of analogue and digital processes. Kinetic distortion, the movement of shadows, the refraction of light – these nuanced micro-events that can be easily missed in everyday life form the focus of the time-based works.

Inspired by personal experiences of synaesthesia, he seeks to deliver a connected dialogue between sensory modes of communication; primarily between colour and sound. Various light-altering materials are used to affect visual perception and re-animate the static image. Questioning the ubiquity of the digital screen, the work emphasises ‘seeing’ as an active engagement rather than a passive receiving.

In a culture immersed in a digital dialogue, the value of images is in quick decline. The time for consideration is being eroded by an insatiable appetite for endorphins. The refraction effect that is explored in his painting and sculpture is intended to draw attention to the time it takes for light to enter and return from the space within the frame.

Deliberately slowing down the viewing pace, it is an invitation to physically interact with distilled natural phenomena.

O’Toole has since exhibited regularly around Australia in over 30 exhibitions and has shown at the National Gallery of Victoria, and the Art Gallery of Benalla, performed live painting at the Powerhouse Museum and worked internationally on residency programs in Berlin and Lyon.

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Daniel O’Toole est né en 1984 à Sydney, en Australie. Il est un artiste multimédia qui travaille à Naarm (Melbourne), en Australie, et à Bruxelles, en Belgique.

S’inspirant du mouvement “Light and space” de Los Angeles des années 1960, son travail s’inscrit dans le contexte post-numérique de l’Australie contemporaine. Travaillant sur les matières de la peinture, de la vidéo, du son et de l’installation, il brouille les frontières entre les disciplines – toujours à la recherche d’un résultat qui unit les différents aspects de sa pratique de manière cohérente.

Dans son travail, l’imperfection et les modes d’enregistrement à faible résolution sont considérés comme des choix esthétiques. Il réalise des vidéos de phénomènes naturels qu’il utilise comme référence pour ses peintures. Ces œuvres temporelles sont un mélange de processus analogiques et numériques. La distorsion cinétique, le mouvement des ombres, la réfraction de la lumière – ces micro-événements nuancés que l’on peut facilement manquer dans la vie de tous les jours constituent le point central des œuvres temporelles.

Inspiré par ses expériences personnelles de synesthésie, il cherche à établir un dialogue entre les modes de communication sensorielle, principalement entre la couleur et le son. Divers matériaux modifiant la lumière sont utilisés pour affecter la perception visuelle et réanimer l’image statique. Remettant en question l’omniprésence de l’écran numérique, l’œuvre met l’accent sur le fait que “voir” est un engagement actif plutôt qu’une réception passive.

Dans une culture immergée dans un dialogue numérique, la valeur des images décline rapidement. Le temps de la réflexion est érodé par un appétit insatiable pour les endorphines. L’effet de réfraction exploré dans ses peintures et ses sculptures vise à attirer l’attention sur le temps nécessaire à la lumière pour entrer dans l’espace à l’intérieur du cadre et en ressortir.

En ralentissant délibérément le rythme de l’observation, il invite à interagir physiquement avec des phénomènes naturels distillés.

Depuis, O’Toole a exposé régulièrement dans toute l’Australie, dans plus de 30 expositions, et a exposé à la National Gallery of Victoria, et à la Art Gallery of Benalla, a fait de la peinture en direct au Powerhouse Museum et a travaillé à l’international dans le cadre de programmes de résidence à Berlin et à Lyon.

Now

INVENTORY, February 15 – March 2, 2024, Galerie John Ferrère

Exhibitions

2023

Fahrenheit, Galerie John Ferrère, Paris

2019

‘Duality experiment’, KSR Art bar, Melbourne
‘Volcano Toast’, Black Cat/Happy Mag (Sydney/Melbourne)

2018

‘The long tomorrow’, May Space, Sydney
‘Interruption’ Black box, ‘May Space’ Waterloo

2017

‘Echo Chamber’ Biennale (Lyon/France)
‘Broken Colour’, Juddy Roller Gallery, Melbourne
‘Bending Light’, Juddy Roller Gallery Melbourne

2016

‘Unrest’ at Day Fine Art, Sydney

2015

‘Tree Spirits’ at Juddy Roller Gallery, Melbourne

2014

‘Polaroid Painting’ solo exhibition, China Heights Gallery

2013

‘New Lines’ Rex Livingston, Sydney
‘In Transit’, dual show with Matt Leslie, Soldiers Rd Gallery
‘Berlin Residency Show’, 111 Tor Strasse Berlin
‘The Season of spring’ group exhibition Flower Pepper Gallery Pasadena USA

2012

‘False Freedoms’, Soldiers Rd Gallery, Sydney
‘Spring’ James Powditch Studio, Sydney
‘Higher Ground’ Studio exhibition, kind Of Gallery, Sydney

2011

‘Discoveries’ Oh Really Gallery
‘Elements’ Harrison Galleries, Sydney
‘Board’ exhibition at the NGV

2010

‘PAL’ exhibition for the SF Art walk, Big Umbrella Studios, San Francisco, USA
‘Minus Canvas’, Joshua Levi gallery
‘Warpaint’ ‘Lo Fi Collective, Sydney

2009

‘In Full Bloom’ CBD Public exhibition by Ambush Gallery
‘Painting 09’, Brunswick Street Gallery Melbourne
‘Carriage Art Works’ Carriage Works, Sydney

2008

‘Here comes trouble’, Pine Street Gallery, Sydney

2007

‘Sounds of Nostalgia’, Riley’s Place Gallery, Sydney

2006

‘A Passion for Portraits’, Mary Place Gallery

Residencies

2018 Q-Bank Residency, Queenstown, Tasmania
2013 Tavern Gutenburg, Lyon, France
2017 111 Tor Strasse, Berlin, Germany

Commissioned Works

Mural, Biba Academy, Melbourne, 2019 Curation and participation in a large scale
community mural project on Goddard street, Newtown, Sydney, (ongoing) 2015-2019
Two Story mural on King street for the New Theatre, Sydney, 2016
Two story mural, ’Doctor Morse’ Melbourne, 2016
Two Story mural as part of Wall to wall Festival Benalla 2016
Commissioned painting and video interview for NETFLIX promotional campaign 2015.
Three story mural ,Art Walk Katoomba/NSW 2015
Commissioned mural, Benalla Regional Gallery, Victoria, 2015.
Live Painting mural at Cowra Regional Art Gallery March 2014.
Public mural on Camden St. Newtown for Marrickville council ‘Perfect Match project’
2014 Commercial Mural at SAE (School of Audio Engineering York St. Sydney 2014
Mural at ‘Venue 505’, Sydney, 2013
Mural on Cleveland St Surry hills for Jazz Club/‘Venue 505’, Sydney, 2012
100 metre long mural for Marrickville Council in Camperdown Oval/NSW. 2011
Live Painting for Information and Cultural Exchange charity at cockle bay wharf (sold
through Sotheby’s) 2010

Curatorial experience

2017, Curator, Alpha Gallery, Sydney

2012-2013 Gallery director, Soldiers Rd Gallery, Sydney,

2008-2011 Gallery director at Oh Really Gallery, Sydney, 2008-2011

Prizes

2014, Finalist, ‘Sunshine Coast Art Prize’ QLD, ‘Calleen Art Prize’, Regional NSW

Education

National Art School, Sydney, 2007-2008 Diploma of Audio Engineering, SAE, Sydney, 2004