Upon learning about our current brief, Abstract fear, I firstly thought of Bill Viola, who's work I have admired for a while. He uses extreme slow motion video to create illusions to startle the viewer. While viewing his work, the viewer finds them self staring with glazed eyes aimlessly waiting for the suspense and then finally the ending. However, Viola's work does not have a narrative structure, so the viewers wait for something that never really happens, leaving them in suspense until eventually they leave, sometimes dissatisfied.
Bill Viola is internationally recognised as one of todays leading installation artists. He has been a vital form for contempary art and in doing so has has helped to greatly expand the art form in terms of technology, content and historical reach. For 40 years he has created videotapes, architectural video installations, sound environments, electronic music performances, flat panel video pieces, and works for television broadcast. Viola’s video installations—total environments that envelop the viewer in image and sound—employ state-of-the-art technologies and are distinguished by their precision and direct simplicity. They are shown in museums and galleries worldwide and are found in many distinguished collections. His single channel videotapes have been widely broadcast and presented cinematically, while his writings have been extensively published, and translated for international readers. Viola uses video to explore the phenomena of sense perception as an avenue to self-knowledge. His works focus on universal human experiences—birth, death, the unfolding of consciousness—and have roots in both Eastern and Western art as well as spiritual traditions.
Bill Viola once said ' Human beings have always been creative. The guys who were making the pyramids.. and archaeological research has showed us this.. had little figurines made by the workers, to express their devotion to their god.When you make a video of fire and of water, the resonance is incredible.. a flowing stream interpreted by flowing electrons. I was drawn to water intuitively, with a camera in my hand.. drawn to its pulsing waves and undulating surfaces, and of course, optically to the images it reflected.'
I will now talk individually about one of Viola's images.
This image is from 'the veiling' 1995 and is a video still. The title, 'the veiling' has many religious and historical perceptions. In the catholic chucrch for example, woman are supposed to veil themselves before entering church or any time they are in the presence of the blessed sacrament.
The veiling used in Viola's exchibition, were long thin sheets which were see through. The video was then projection through the sheets untill fading out into the atmosphere. The effect of this was the viewer could walk in bewteen the sheets and be a part of the projection. Unfortunatly due to little information about this image, I do not know what the projection was, but I am prosuming it was something involving water and a person very slowly emerging and dissapering. I like this image as it has a sense of mystery, like lots of Viola's work, and also involves the audience. I think the main reason why I feel this piece is unique is that the audience can touch the fabric, which is unusual in the art world as we are told 'not to touch the paintings' so there is a sense of freedom.
I like Viola's work as it allows viewers to experience the work directly, and in there own personal way. This may be using collective thoughts of the viewer or subjective thoughts
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