Mary Toscano & Andrew Rease Shaw
— LFO

LFO is an exploration of the intersections between quilts and synthesizers by Mary Toscano and Andrew Rease Shaw. This immersive installation presents Toscano’s intricate quilts with Shaw’s evocative soundscapes, blending visual and auditory dimensions into a cohesive experience.

In the world of music, LFO (low frequency oscillator) refers to a waveform that modulates parameters within a synthesizer, producing effects such as vibrato, tremolo, or other dynamic movements. LFOs typically follow waveforms like sine, square, triangle, and sawtooth waves. These waveforms echo the geometric shapes found in traditional quilt patterns — log cabin quilts are built of square angles; flying geese are distinctively triangular; half-rectangle triangles resemble sawtooth waves; and the curved arcs in the drunkard’s path evoke the flowing motion of sine waves. This parallel between the visual language of quilting and the technical structure of sound synthesis sparked a conversation between Toscano and Shaw, inspiring the creation of the works in LFO.

In addition to the quilt and sound installation, Toscano and Shaw collaborated on a series of eight letterpress prints and two assemblages that reinterpret block patterns found in the quilts, further blurring the lines between textile art and sound design.

Mary Toscano and Andrew Rease Shaw live in Salt Lake City, where they have been companions for 18 years. LFO is their first two-person exhibition together. 

Toscano’s art practice includes drawing, printmaking, bookmaking, textile works, and writing. They publish fine press books under the name All Snakes Press. They have exhibited at the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art (UMOCA), the Alice Gallery, God Hates Robots, Kayo Gallery, GARFO Art Center, and Central Utah Art Center. They work as a labor organizer for Local 1010 tech workers’ union.

Shaw is a multi-disciplinary artist working in graphic design, publications, photography, music, sound, and experimental mediums. Through his Torpor House imprint, he designs and distributes art zines, indie publications, and other printed ephemera. He has provided the musical score for several feature films, including The Strongest Man (Sundance, 2015) and My Heart Can’t Beat Unless You Tell It To (Tribeca, 2020). He serves on the board of The Davey Foundation, a non-profit supporting emerging filmmakers, and works at the Salt Lake City Arts Council.

Mary Toscano
allsnakespress.com
Instagram: @marytoscano

Andrew Rease Shaw
howdyandrew.com
torporhouse.com
Instagram: @andrewreaseshaw