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"Viola developed his
video art in the 1970s, a period defined art-historically by Conceptualism
and Postminimalism," states Ross. "Without categorically rejecting these
movements, Viola infused his work with a new humanism, using emerging technologies
to explore human perceptions of observable phenomena and to shed light on
what lies beneath the visible surface of the world. I have been fortunate
to have worked with Bill since my days as the video curator at the Everson
Museum in the 1970s. Bringing this survey exhibition to SFMOMA continues
a cycle of collaboration that has extended from coast to coast and touched
thousands of viewers in the U.S. and abroad." Museum visitors of all ages and from all walks of life can appreciate Viola's form of visual poetry. His unique video installations and videotapes treat universal themes of life and death, the passage of time, the power of nature, human spirituality, and personal relationships. Viola draws from diverse cultural sources and reflects the spiritual influences of Christian mysticism, Islamic Sufism, and Zen Buddhism. Using the latest media technologies, he creates experiential environments that trigger visitors' emotions by melding new creative media with Aristotle's ancient concepts of dramatic tension and catharsis. In Viola's work, the technological elements become virtually transparent and allow the art to affect each visitor directly. Using the entire fourth floor of the Museum, the installations are linked in darkness, forming a meta-artwork that leads the visitor through an interconnected range of emotional states. |
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| Bill Viola The Crossing 1996 Video/sound installation 16 x 27.5 x 57 ft. |
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| Peter Sellars' experience with
dramatic forms has enhanced the presentation of the exhibition. A professor
of world arts and cultures at the University of California at Los Angeles,
Sellars has directed contemporary and classic operas and festivals around
the globe. His association with Viola dates back to the 1980s when Sellars
directed the Los Angeles Festival. One of the most powerful works on view is The Crossing, 1996. Two large screens mounted back to back simultaneously represent the violent annihilation of a man by opposing forces of nature: fire and water. On one screen, flames lick up from his feet until they appear to consume his entire body. On the other, water falls in a deluge from above until the form is obliterated. In the end, the man disappears entirely and only the flickering flames and lingering drops remain on each scarred floor where the figure stood. The cycle then begins anew, highlighting the purifying, transformative capacity of the elements. The Crossing recalls a line from the thirteenth-century Persian poet Rumi-whose works have greatly inspired Viola-who wrote: "You have seen the kettle of thought boiling over, now consider the fire." The exhibition will extend beyond SFMOMA's walls to include an installation of one of Viola's more recent works at Grace Cathedral. The Greeting, 1995 recalls a theme from Christian iconography as portrayed in Pontormo's mannerist painting Visitation, 1528-29. In conjunction with the exhibition, Viola will give a sermon at the Cathedral on June 20; for more information, call 415/749-6300. The San Francisco presentation of Bill Viola is part of a six-city international tour, which will end at the Art Institute of Chicago in January 2000. This exhibition is accompanied by a catalogue which is available at the MuseumStore. To order please call 415/357.4035 or email museumstore@sfmoma.org. |
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This exhibition was organized by the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York. This exhibition is sponsored by VEBA. Significant support is provided by Peter and Eileen Norton and the Peter Norton Family Foundation, with additional funding from the Charles Engelhard Foundation, Pamela and Richard Kramlich, Marion Stroud Swingle, Lynn Forester, Barbara Wise, the Dasein Foundation and the National Committee of the Whitney Museum of American Art. The SFMOMA presentation is sponsored by AT&T and Intel Corporation. Copyright © 1996-2008 San Francisco Museum of Modern Art 
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