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September 20, 2005
Bill Viola (Statements 1985; Statement 1989)
The "sense of place" is a concept that permeates the work of Bill Viola. He sees this "place" as the location where an idea can come to life. This "sense of place" can also be seen as the subject of Viola's work, which includes landscapes, both physical ("hard") and mental ("soft.") He does not see any distinction, however, between the two. Rather, Viola emphasizes their ability to work together. There is a tension, transition, exchange and resonance between these physical and mental landscapes that give energy and definition to our reality. (Statements 1985)
Viola goes on to describe the windows of perception, and how they occur all at once. We are, however, only tuned into a certain frequency. Thought is defined as perception over time. Perhaps, our perception can change to allow us to partake in multiple frequencies over a period of time.
There is reference back to this idea of a window of perception in Viola's "Statement 1989." In this case, it is called the "separate reality." Viola claims it is present within us all but that the artist is the one who brings it to life, though his or her work that is left here on earth.
So many artists define themselves by their medium: painter, printmaker, photographer, dancer and musician. Bill Viola plainly states that he does not use the label "video artist;" rather he prefers simply, "artist." He explains that video is only a device he uses to express his art because it is the most relevant to contemporary life. According to this theory, people can avoid the limitations of the medium by defining themselves as artists and then expressing their ideas using the most appropriate methods.
Posted by Kate Bauer at September 20, 2005 10:58 PM