The Story of Captain Earwax
Australian multi-disciplinary artist Captain Earwax, aka Ears, is an amazingly talented producer, engineer, fine artist, filmmaker, and overall creator of all things. Ears is consistently working on shows, recordings and exhibitions. His work from musical arrangements to street murals are stunning and beyond brilliant. Everything he creates is inspired and an original echo of that which exists between his ears.
ascension
EARS
116x85cm, acrylic on canvas 2017 Sold
When I examine his artwork, it forces me to wonder where he pulls this energy and perspective from. I see a lot of duality. There's a lot of alternate planes and shifts within the perspective axis. Perhaps it is of a captain's nature to travel beyond and find new land. I can imagine him returning back with visions of elsewhere with only his creative expressions to make any sense of it. That in itself is what makes art great, when the examiner is prompted by the creation to figure out it's creator.
Art is a keyhole to the soul. That is where the beauty, the light and the darkness exists. His sounds and moving visuals are also brilliant to say the least. He cultivates the presence of a distinctive electronic atmosphere. The layers of sound are masterfully placed and he takes great care of sonic textures. I've had the great pleasure to work with him on a couple occasions, and look forward to future collaborations.
TRANSFORMING SELF
EARS
114cm x 85cm, acrylic on canvas 2017 Sold
Excerpts from CaptainEarwax.Com
The story of Captain Earwax began when a young Daniel O’Toole wanted to be a captain just like his old man, and be in charge of a flight deck filled with buttons and flashing lights, taking voyages around the world. It turns out Dan was not cut out for the pilot gig, however his music studio has become somewhat of a spaceship, traversing galaxies on a voyage of sonic exploration, uncovering life forms and textures in the skies beyond.
Captain Earwax is the musical moniker of Australian multi-disciplinary artist Daniel O’Toole, widely known in Sydney and surrounding areas as EARS. Over the last decade, EARS has worked tirelessly as a street artist, curator, gallery operator, and esteemed painter who is frequently commissioned for murals, most notably recognised for his loose figurative portraits that adorn the walls of Newtown and the Inner West.
As a musician, Captain Earwax has released 2 full-length albums, Red Silhouettes (2012) and Porcelain Giants (2014), plus EPs Floating Tokyo and Blue Temple, and multiple projects as Flight Recorder, a collaboration with fellow Sydney artist and audio engineer Jack Prest.
In the early stages of his music career, Dan was the instigator behind Sydney’s renowned Free The Beats compilation series and event, which showcases Australia’s underground beatmakers and electronic music producers. Free The Beats has been operating since 2009, and continues in 2017 with recent parties taking place at Cake Wines in Redfern.
His latest project is Delicate Empires, an LP [released] on vinyl and digitally in August 2017 through Australian-based label Fifty Records. The album sees Captain Earwax blend his passion for nature and earthly sounds with playful and emotive melodies, intricate percussion and crunchy textures.
Long Live Captain Earwax