Bill Viola

I would like to take this post to talk a little about the first video artist whose work I really found an interest in. Of all the video work I've seen, none of them have inspired me as much as that of Bill Viola. I have always been fascinated by his work. His work is very simple, yet dramatic. He is also the first video artist that gave me a idea of where I want my work to be.

One of the main reasons I like Viola's work so much is because of the subjects he chooses. His work deals a lot with human consciousness and emotion, having a very mystic quality to it. He also deals a lot with natural elements, particularly water, a subject I'm also interested in. One of the first pieces I saw of his was The Crossing. This piece contains to projections of men facing each other, one is consumed by fire and the other by water.

This idea of duality has been a common element in many of my drawings and paintings, especially my artist book as I have mentioned before. This idea, along with the way it was presented, was simply amazing. Seeing the man consumed by the elements in slow motion was incredible to watch. This still, slow motion style appears in many of his works. It is something that I would like to be able to replicate if I could shoot video at that quality.

It is always interesting for me to here him talk about his work, being interested in a lot of similar subjects. I normally have trouble focusing or following the artist's thought process. Viola is one of the few artists where I really feel like I understand what they are trying to do. Seeing his work makes me want to explore other artists and see what other contemporary artists are doing. It's nice to see every once in a while that other people are interested in the same things you are.