Artist Presentation Handouts: Bill Viola

Tatyana Mann 

November 15, 2013 

Su Ye 

Bill Viola: CLASS HANDOUT 

Bill Viola 

b. January 25, 1951 

Queens, New York 

Video Artist 

American            

_______ 

 "One of the things the camera taught me was to see the world, the same world that my eye sees, in its metaphoric, symbolic state. This condition is, in fact, always present, latent in the world around us."  --Bill Viola 

• Internationally known artist, specializing in Video, Sound and Electronic Art in a field identified as New Media Art 
• At the age of six, fell of a boat on holiday with family, and nearly drowned; thus explains his fixation on water 
• Began career at nine years old as Captain of school TV Squad 
• Technical  Director for Art/Tapes/22 in Florence, Italy 
• In 1973, graduated with a BFA in Experimental Studios of the College of Visual and Performing Arts - Syracuse University 
• Video technician at the Everson Museum of Art in Syracuse 
• In 1977, invited by cultural arts director Kira Perov to showcase his videotapes at La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia 
• Married Kira Perov in 1980; she became his executive director 
• In 1993, moved to California; became an Advanced Video instructor at the California Institute of the Arts 

• In 1995, represented the United States in the 46th Venice Biennale 
• Awarded the 2009 Catalonia International Prize, XXI Premi Internacional Catalunya 2009, in Barcelona Spain 
• Pioneer to the advancement and acknowledgement of Video Art as a contemporary medium.  
• Utilizes the theme of dualism into his work to force audiences to have a well-rounded comprehension of his work 
• Final products are usually in extreme slow motion, played on loop. Promotes a eerie, transcendental quality; almost dream-like 
• By invitation, Viola embarked on the Tristian Project [2004]; created video sequences that would be used as the backdrop to Wagner's opera Tristian and Isolde. 
• Some of his most notable video works are: "The Space Between the Teeth"[1976] ,"The Veiling" [1995] , "The Crossing" [1996] , "The Quintet Series" [2000] , "Silent Mountain" [2001] , "Observance" [2002] , "Ocean Without a Shore" [2007] , "The Bodies of Light" [2009]