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16 of 16 people found the following review helpful
To Find Refuge in a Composed Sense of Attentive Quiet
24 April 2006
Format:DVD
"Bill Viola: The Eye of the Heart", directed by Mark Kidel for the BBC and Arte France, is a sixty-minute documentary on the life and work of this pioneering video artist.
Mr. Viola was educated in Experimental Film at Syracuse University, where he also studied Electrical Engineering, Literature, Mysticism and Electronic Music. He began his artistic career, in the early 1970's, by producing intensely personal single-channel video pieces for alternative spaces. He now conceives large-scale museum installations, which feature emotionally charged imagery, created primarily in a controlled studio setting.
The documentary partly serves as a retrospective of Bill Viola's entire career. Brief excerpts from a wide range of his works are thoughtfully incorporated into the narrative. The documentary is also partly autobiographical, with Mr. Viola providing the primary narration throughout the majority of the work.
The film begins with some of Bill Viola's earliest childhood memories and then gradually introduces its viewers to the specific philosophies which helped to guide his artistic process over the years. A crucial turning point occurred in 1983, with "Room for St. John of the Cross". Viola felt that the attitude that one has, towards external adversity, is ultimately the only thing under our personal control. So with this piece, he moved from a philosophy of social perfection, to one of self-perfection.
Two recurring themes appear within the documentary: A visit to the Church of Saint Francis, in Assisi, Italy, where the artist discusses the dream-like three-dimensional frescoes of Giotto, a revolutionary artist of the Renaissance. Another trip was made to an isolated desert setting near the artist's California home. Here, the effect of the pristine natural landscape, on an individual's psyche, is carefully considered. Most of Viola's video works involve the elements of nature and feature mysticism in some form.
A short 2003 question and answer session between maverick opera director, Peter Sellars, and Bill Viola is also included. This interview explores the meaning of Bill's more recent pieces, such as "The Passions".
"Bill Viola: The Eye of the Heart" is currently the most authoritative documentary available on the life and work of this artist. As such, it makes for essential viewing for all fans of experimental art video.
Mr. Viola was educated in Experimental Film at Syracuse University, where he also studied Electrical Engineering, Literature, Mysticism and Electronic Music. He began his artistic career, in the early 1970's, by producing intensely personal single-channel video pieces for alternative spaces. He now conceives large-scale museum installations, which feature emotionally charged imagery, created primarily in a controlled studio setting.
The documentary partly serves as a retrospective of Bill Viola's entire career. Brief excerpts from a wide range of his works are thoughtfully incorporated into the narrative. The documentary is also partly autobiographical, with Mr. Viola providing the primary narration throughout the majority of the work.
The film begins with some of Bill Viola's earliest childhood memories and then gradually introduces its viewers to the specific philosophies which helped to guide his artistic process over the years. A crucial turning point occurred in 1983, with "Room for St. John of the Cross". Viola felt that the attitude that one has, towards external adversity, is ultimately the only thing under our personal control. So with this piece, he moved from a philosophy of social perfection, to one of self-perfection.
Two recurring themes appear within the documentary: A visit to the Church of Saint Francis, in Assisi, Italy, where the artist discusses the dream-like three-dimensional frescoes of Giotto, a revolutionary artist of the Renaissance. Another trip was made to an isolated desert setting near the artist's California home. Here, the effect of the pristine natural landscape, on an individual's psyche, is carefully considered. Most of Viola's video works involve the elements of nature and feature mysticism in some form.
A short 2003 question and answer session between maverick opera director, Peter Sellars, and Bill Viola is also included. This interview explores the meaning of Bill's more recent pieces, such as "The Passions".
"Bill Viola: The Eye of the Heart" is currently the most authoritative documentary available on the life and work of this artist. As such, it makes for essential viewing for all fans of experimental art video.
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