Bill Viola: The Passions
The National Gallery, London 22 Oct. 2003 – 4 Jan. 2004

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The Crossing

LONDON, Dec 10, 2003/ FW/ --- The Crossing had an immediate impact on me with its contrast of water and fire.

Viola, Bill; The Crossing, 1996

As a native of California much of my life has been spent by the ocean. The mountains that come down to the seashore are threatened yearly by brush fires such as have recently consumed thousands of homes, acres of plants, forests and wildlife.

After the fires there is the threat of floods as there is no foliage to absorb the rains that usually follow.

Bill Viola lives and creates in Long Beach, a seaside city. Perhaps he has felt this destruction and rebirth cycle in California which repeats it self from one year to the next.

The symbolism of fire and water has many meanings spiritually; the warmth we derive from fire or the destruction created by fire.

Viola, Bill; The Crossing, 1996

One could see it as walking through Hades to rebirth, or to a cleansing and purification by water, or possibly baptism in Heavenly waters.

One of the aspects I appreciated at the National Gallery exhibit was that they presented several of the Old Masters paintings Bill Viola had studied, pictures with a relationship to his current pieces on display.

It gave me a greater understanding of the depth of his work as it related to these paintings ranging from the 12th century to the 16th century in Japan and Europe.

For example: Bellini Giovanni’s The Dead Christ Supported by Angels, perhaps 1465-70, Hieronymus Bosch’s Christ Mocked (The Crowning with Thorns) about 1490-1500 and the Japanese Daruma, late 16th century scroll.

Christ Crowned with Thorns Workshop of Dirk BOUTS probably 1475-1500 Oil on oak 36.8 x 27.8 cm The National Gallery, London © The National Gallery, London

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