12. Vaughan O'conner, Vincent O'conner and Mark Brown
Desertion, 2008
Sound artists Mark Brown and Vincent & Vaughan O’connor form a poetic response to urban space with their latest collaboration titled Desertion.
Spooky goes only half way in describing the trio’s approach. Using an alchemical combination of audio gear, children’s toys and retro videogame hardware, the group build mechanical poltergeists wired to empty buildings.
Triggered by the viewer’s movement around the building, the Desertion system summons eerie sonic responses from within. Supple, haunting and elegiac in equal parts, ‘Desertion’ showcases the powerful evocative quality of such relics. As part of the Current 08 program, Brown & the Brothers O’connor will occupy vacant shops on the middle level of the Brand Smart Centre. Part studio, the vacant site will be used to both construct and exhibit the groups unique percussive architectural interface.
Mark Brown
Mark brown is a Sydney based sound installation artist exploring notions relating to site, architecture and sonic atmospheres. His work has evolved into a poetic response to site; critiquing history; function; the viewer and unseen and unheard phenomena within space.
His work has been exhibited & performed at First Draft Gallery, Liquid Architecture 9, Artspace Centre for Contemporary Art, Sydney, and RMIT Gallery & Conical Gallery Melbourne Australia. He has also recently collaborated with Vincent & Vaughan O’connor as part of the EchoLocation performance series in Parramatta.
The installation coordinator for the 2006 Biennale of Sydney, Mark has extensive experience working within heritage-listed sites. Both artistically and professionally, he has developed unique approaches to installation that both respect and showcase the unique challenges presented by architectural form.
Vincent O’connor
Vincent O’connor rewires electronic musical instruments and produces interactive sound installations using obsolete and broken technology. Specialising in analogue electronics, Vincent’s playful artworks respond tosonic phenomena and retro gaming icons. Previous projects included a residency at Firstdraft creating plywood robots based on 1980’s pop stars.
His work has been exhibited at Mori Gallery, Kudos Gallery, and Firstdraft Gallery in Sydney. Most recently Vincent has worked on modifying a series of megaphones for public performances around Parramatta. He is currently undertaking research in the Master of Fine Arts program at UNSW.
Vaughan O’connor
Vaughan O’connor is an emerging arts writer and installation artist interested in the cultural formations associated with post-industrial architecture. Currently authoring his Master’s paper on the art initiatives & industrial architecture, his art practice uses drawings to induce sonic responses from built forms.
His work has been presented at Kudos Gallery, Blacktown Art Centre, LanFranchis Gallery and Eleven Eleven Radio. He frequently writes for COFAMAG and has also been published in Artwrite.
