BILL VIOLA

BILL VIOLA 

Bill Viola  is an American video artist and has been widely renowned and praised for his artistic manipulation of life, death and rebirth through the use of earthly elements within his short videos. Music has also been an important part of Viola's work. 

Viola explores universal human experiences, such as birth, death, and consciousness with influences from both Eastern and Western art. He is also influenced by Zen Buddhism, Islamic Sufism and Christian Mysticism. Voila makes his works personal to the individual by using subjective thoughts and universal ideas. His videos are often immersive and emotionally provoking.

Bill Viola, The Dreamers

Video/sound installation by Bill Viola, The Dreamers 2013.

One of Viola's works is named The Dreamers and can be observed in the video above. The exibition contains a series of seven plasma screens that each depict an individual, whom are of various ages and are submerged in water. Their eyes are closed, and they lie perfectly still as if resting peacefully. The sound of water running over their bodies can be heard. The atmosphere is calm and provokes a sense of peace upon its observers.

Bill Viola, Tristans Ascension

Bill Viola, Tristan's Ascension, 2005.

Another of Viola's works is Tristan's Ascension which depicts what appears to be the raising of a persons soul after death and drawn up in a backwards flowing waterfall, similar to a ray of light taking the soul into heaven. In this piece, the body of a man is lying on a slab in an empty concrete room. The waterfall gradually becomes visible, only a few drops at a time until eventually it is a large feature above the body. Further into the piece and the body begins to glow, similar to how an Angel is depicted. The body begins to lift from the slab, beginning with the arms and torso until eventually the entire body is drawn up into the waterfall and disappears above. The water then begins to slow, and the droplets decrease until only the empty slab remains. The entire sequence is projected onto a tall vertical screen mounted upon the wall. There is also a 4.1 surround sound system incorporated.

Bill Viola, Emergence 

Bill Viola, Emergence 2002.

Two women are seen sitting on either side of a marble cistern in a small courtyard and are waiting patiently in silence, occasionally acknowledging each other's presence. Time here is suspended and indeterminate, the purpose and destination of their actions unknown. They are suddenly interrupted by a premonition. The young woman turns suddenly and stares at the cistern. She watches holding an expression of disbelief whilst a young man's head appears, and then his entire body rises up, spilling water over the sides and out onto the base and the courtyard floor.
The water catches the other woman's attention, who turns to witness the miraculous event causing her to stand. The younger woman grasps his arm and caresses it as if greeting a lost lover. Once the young man's body is fully above the Cistern, he totters and falls. The older woman catches him, and with the help of the younger woman, they struggle to lower him gently to the ground. The young man is left lifeless, and he is covered by a cloth. the older woman breaks down in tears whilst cradling his head as the younger woman, also emotional, tenderly embraces his body.

The video is mounted into a wall and has the characteristics of a painting. The view is made to feel like a observer, or bystander of a random event. It appears to be inspired by a fresco from the 1400s by Masolino da Panicale, in which the dead Christ is shown at the moment of Resurrection.

I remember seeing this particular piece back in college a while ago and although I appreciated the theme and dramatic layout, I hadn't taken into account the symbolical and the divinely majestic meaning created in this film. It speaks a lot about the religious background and the retelling of Jesus Christ and his resurrection. Yet it speaks further than just the biblical story. In an interview Viola expressed his attempts of recreating the tale of Tristan and Isolde. A love between the two built to be so strong. (spoilers) Tristan dies at the end. What could be seen in this is perhaps the next stage of evolution in love that is rehearsed in the biblical sense. In essence rebirth. Love was a particular theme Viola kept running throughout his pieces but I believe none more so than this piece, Emergence.

Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away

A very well received film I could use to relate Viola's work is an all time childhood favourite of mine that so happened to be on television a few days back. Although this story is more about a coming of age tale. It tells its story through the stages of change and reflects the willingness to change and learn for the betterment of loved ones. I'd compare this to Viola's exploration of universal human experiences and his technique of involving the observing in the work. The location used in this film, the bath house, is visited by the spirits of the world which in my own opinion could relate to Viola's exploration of religion as a way to express a message. The main character herself is reborn within the movie, a theme also explored by Viola.

BIBLIOGRAPHY


- Bill Viola, self- portrait:

http://artpulsemagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/1-bill-viola-kira-perov.jpg


-Bill Viola, Official website:

http://www.billviola.com


-Bill Viola interview, cameras are soul keepers. Interviewed by Christian Lund:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uenrts2YHdI


-Bill Viola - Emergence:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTPf6mHKYD0


-Bill Viola and the making of Emergence ( Mark Kidel, 2003):    

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hx5Cu7U-Fkg&t=391s

-Bill Viola, Tristan's Ascension:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gqf_cuDf9qI

-Bill Viola, The Dreamers: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJpv4Z1X3CY

- Spirited Away by Hayao Miyazaki's cover Image :

http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/studio-ghibli/images/4/4a/Spirited_Away_(Amerikansk_DVD).jpg/revision/latest?cb=20140116135457