Peter Vogel

Peter Vogel was a German artist known for his electronic sculptures and sound objects. After a career in medical research and cybernetics, Vogel became interested in painting and, influenced by the Action Painting movement, desired to show movement and time in art. In contrast to artists who explored the concept of the viewer as an active participant, Vogel adopted interactivity in his work to create interactive objects. His early piece Drehstäbe (1970) appears as a geometric abstract image, but with five motors, it moves in response to the viewer. Vogel later began to use sound to explore his ideas and developed objects constructed of wires and electronic components; they are designed in a playful way and respond to the viewer’s sound and movement. Soundwall (1979) consists of physical scores made from numerous sensors that need to be played by the viewer. Major themes in his art are interactivity, movement, and play.