1. Heroes and Heroines Bill Viola – Video Artist The death of Tristan (Tristan und Isolde, 2004)

2. Who is Bill Viola? American (b.1951) video artist – installations envelop the viewer in an environment of image and sound Work explores the spiritual and perceptual side of human experience “One of the things the camera taught me was to see the world, the same world that my eye sees, in its metaphoric, symbolic state. This condition is, in fact, always present, latent in the world around us.” Bill Viola

3. Focus of his work Focus on universal human experiences – birth, death, the unfolding of consciousness Uses the inner language of subjective thoughts and collective memories – videos communicate to a worldwide audience, allowing viewers to experience the work in their own personal way

4. Deeply involved in Buddhism, preoccupation with the inner or spiritual-self and the boundaries of consciousness Has drawn meaning and inspiration from his deep interest in mystical traditions, especially Zen Buddhism, Islamic Sufism, and Christian mysticism Work has roots in Eastern and Western art – subject matter and manner of devotional art have informed his aesthetic Creative inspiration and drive

5. From personal life experiences… Often refers to his near drowning experience; he has spent his life studying it and its subtle transformative effect on his psyche Since death of his parents and birth of his children in 1990s, work has often drawn on his own life to explore recurring themes of birth, death, self-discovery and personal transformation

6. First knowledge of Bill’s work 1998-1999: video pieces for Nine Inch Nails’ tour Nothing else about his life or other work 2006-2007: here! Tristan und Isolde – The Tristan Project The Crossing For Heroes and Heroines assignment…

7. Bill’s Bio… 1970s: lived for 18 months in Florence, worked as technical director of production for one of the first video art studios in Europe then traveled widely to study and record traditional performing arts in the Solomon Islands, Java, Bali, and Japan

8. 1980s In 1980 Bill and Kira Perov, his wife (La Trobe University’s cultural arts director whom he married in 1978) lived in Japan for 18 months They studied Buddhism and Bill became the first artist-in-residence at Sony Corporation’s research laboratories

9. 1990s 1995 Venice Biennale – produced The Greeting, a contemporary interpretation of ‘The Visitation’ (painting from the 1500s by Pontormo) Used extreme slow motion to reveal nuances of expression and gesture, opening up new expressive territory

10. The Crossing (1996) Depicts the annihilation of a human figure by the natural forces of fire and water Flames appear and quickly spread to consume the man’s body while; water pours down Sll that remains are ashes and a few drops of water Manifests the destructive aspects and the transformative capacities www.cnca.gob.mx/viola/

11. 2002-2003 2002 – completed Going Forth By Day, a five part projected digital “fresco” cycle in High- Definition video 2003 – The Passions was exhibited at the J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles then at the National Gallery, London

12. 2004 Collaborated with director Peter Sellars, conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen and executive producer Kira Perov to create a new production of Wagner’s opera, Tristan und Isolde…

13. Love/Death: The Tristan Project The Fall into Paradise clip (from Bill Viola: Artist’s Talk, Tate Modern, 16 June 2006) www.tate.org.uk/onlineevents/webcasts/bill_ viola/ www.tate.org.uk/onlineevents/webcasts/bill_ viola/

14. 2006 - 2007 Oct 2006 to January 2007 – one of largest exhibitions of his installations to date, Bill Viola: Hatsu-Yume (First Dream) at the Mori Art Museum in Tokyo

15. Ocean Without a Shore, Production still Photo: Kira Perov Performer: Blake Viola Was inspired by a poem by the 20th century Senegalese poet and storyteller Birago Diop – is about the presence of the dead in our lives 2007

16. Why I chose Bill Viola For me – a master of video art… Inspires me because his art has always embodied a spiritually infused, heightened awareness He pushes the boundaries of our perceptions and human consciousness to make us question our existence – and the end of our existence

17. Viola on the Net… www.billviola.com/biograph.htm www.getty.edu/art/gettyguide/artMakerDetails?ma ker=24654&page=1www.getty.edu/art/gettyguide/artMakerDetails?ma ker=24654&page=1 www.artnet.com/Magazine/features/drohojowska- philp/drohojowska-philp12-15-04.asp#1www.artnet.com/Magazine/features/drohojowska- philp/drohojowska-philp12-15-04.asp#1 www.youtube.com/watch?v=E76M5wEFXME www.tate.org.uk/onlineevents/webcasts/bill_viola/ www.sfmoma.org/espace/viola/fr_splash.html www.cnca.gob.mx/viola/list.html