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

Previous: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]  Next: [9] [10]

LONDON, Dec 10, 2003/ FW/ --- Viola’s current work draws from the sorrows and pain of life, birth being a major wall of pain, death the final curtain.

Viola, Bill; Emergence, 2002

Emergence inspired by Tommaso di Cristofano’s Pieta 1424, is a piece with religious overtones, a silent emotional video story of the marble-like vision of a Christ figure being born from a well of water.

On either side of the well, two women who are at first distant, connect and acknowledge the other as the water emerges with the Christ figure in his silent waves of birth and death.

As the work undulates in a surrealistic biblical flow the two women lay him to rest wrapping him in a shroud.

This piece takes patience to view; it is not for one in a 21st century hurry.

Previous: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]  Next: [9] [10]