Daniel O’Toole is an artist whose practice blends painting and sound, with a focus on perception and natural phenomena. Over the years, his career has included collaborations with high-profile brands such as Louis Vuitton, Tiffany & Co., and Ginger & Smart, as well as numerous exhibitions that explore how light, color, and distortion shape our experience of the world.
His latest exhibition, Noisy Eyes, at Backwoods Gallery, is deeply personal. It draws on his own journey with Visual Snow Syndrome (VSS) — a neurological condition whose primary symptom is constant visual “static,” like flickering film grain or the interference of old analogue television screen. Alongside this static, people with VSS may also experience other visual and non-visual disturbances. Rather than hide this condition, Daniel embraces it, transforming it into art.
One of the techniques central to Daniel’s practice is called “film soup.” He photographs gradients on a digital screen using an analogue film camera, then treats the film with natural household materials such as turmeric, salt, vinegar, or green tea. These reactions produce unpredictable patterns and textures, echoing the static of VSS. Through this process, Daniel shares his condition in a way that others can see and connect with.
Daniel’s Story
“I developed Visual Snow Syndrome when I was 17 years old, initially it was very concerning, and I spent about 12 months dealing with anxiety around it, and going to doctors to get tests and eventually ruled out anything serious. There was no diagnosis at the time, and for me personally I was able to relax about it after I learned there was no serious medical risk involved with the condition. It was explained to me at the time that I may have Entoptic phenomenon, and that I was able to see the skin cells in the back of my eye… this seemed like a flimsy explanation but it was all I had, and it somehow empowered me to reframe the noise I see, as a superpower. A special sensitivity to seeing a layer of reality that others are unable to. In time I stopped noticing it, and learned to ignore it very effectively.
I rarely think about it in my day to day life, and I think that is because as soon as I notice it, (for example at night when I am driving) I let it go. So my awareness doesn’t linger on it, I don’t focus on it, obsess over it or worry about it at all. I just kind of shrug it off and get on with things, so it’s always there but I don’t react to it with fear or concern. I accept it as a special ability that is unique and doesn’t actually stop me from doing anything physically or mentally. That said, I think I would read more if it wasn’t for VSS, I love reading but the noise does get in the way of the words sometimes! and I think you need a bit more patience and determination to read with VSS, but of course it’s possible.
I have been a full time artist since around 2008, and over the years through all my experiments and various exhibitions, a central theme around sensory perception, and natural phenomena has emerged. So it seems that my VSS has taken me down some really interesting creative pathways, searching for some ways to communicate my way of seeing but also to understand it. Unpack it, and celebrate it, as a tool for re-interpreting the world in an abstract way. I sometimes wonder, if I was born with VSS, would it ever have bothered me, would I have even noticed. ? Our experience of reality is unique in so many ways that we likely are unaware of, and being aware of one way (VSS) that is different from others can be a positive thing.
I hope new paintings from the current exhibition ‘Noisy Eyes’ @backwoods.gallery could be inspiring for people like me who live with these twinkling lights, and maybe help to shift the narrative around the condition to make the experience less of a drag.”
