Viola has been instrumental in establishing video as a necessary medium in contemporary art. In doing so, the medium has greatly expanded technologically, content wise and in its historical reach. Immersive and grand in scale, yet the works are distinguished by their precision and simplicity. Largely single channel and slow motion, single locked off shot with one or no actors, Viola uses video to ‘explore the phenomena of sense perception as an avenue to self-knowledge’ and focuses on universal experiences of birth, death and enlightenment (or the unfolding of consciousness).
Bill Viola - Ascension, 2000
I first became aware of his works prior to seeing his work in 2015 “Selected Works” in 2015 at the Art Gallery of South Australia, yet it was this work that profoundly affected me. Mesmerising, they fully envelope you and provide an experience I can only describe as ‘religious’. These particular works use scale and the elements of fire & water juxtaposed. Same shot, actor, action, speed and scale. At this exhibition, backing up against each other, facing opposite directions. You had to walk around them.
Bill Viola – The Crossing, 1996, two-channel color video installation, four channels of sound, 10 min 57 sec, performer: Phil Esposito
I am looking at Viola for a few reasons. Firstly his use of fire, his ability to immerse a viewer into a one channel, one shot, slow motion image for so long and for the technology of the medium and how he has used it over the years. I am very interested in his use of scale but also the body within that scale. The effect this has on the viewer as it changes. His website has got more writings than images. Some by him, some interviews and some by others. I am interested in researching how he talks about his work. I will revisit Viola again and again this semester for his works and his writings in reference to my work. When I was conceiving this project and the images, he was the artist that loomed large in my mind as assisting me to formulate my own voice in this medium, possibly next semester and generally for constructing an image visually in which I can composite.
Bill Viola, Fire Woman, 2005. Colour High-Definition video projection, Performer Robin Bonaccorsi © Kira Perov. Courtesy of Bill Viola Studio.