Bill Viola, the New York artist known for his unique universe built upon video art and classical masters, passed away at the age of 73. His work explored profound life questions.
Viola was ahead of his time, tackling fundamental themes such as birth, death, beauty, light, darkness, pain, and spirituality. While often called a video artist, he was a contemporary creator who used video for self-expression. His works are part of collections at the MoMA, Guggenheim, and MET.
William Viola Jr. was born in January 1951 in New York, growing up with an older and a younger sibling. His father worked for American Airways, and his mother, Wynne (Lee) Viola, moved from England to the U.S. He graduated from Syracuse University with an art degree and assisted with exhibitions of artists like Nam June Paik and Peter Campus. In 1973, he collaborated with Joan Jonas and Chris Burden.
One of his most famous works stemmed from a childhood near-death experience. At age six, he fell into a lake and described the underwater world as “perhaps the most beautiful world I’ve ever seen.” This profound experience influenced his art deeply.
In 1992, Viola signed with the James Cohan Gallery in New York, one of the most important galleries of the 1990s. Six years later, he presented “The Greeting” at the Venice Biennale, a video featuring actors inspired by Renaissance master Jacopo Pontormo’s painting. The film depicts the visitation of Mary and Saint Elizabeth. This work epitomizes Viola’s style, characterized by high resolution, flat screens, and extreme slow motion, as if a single brushstroke by the master would take several seconds. This interplay between movement and stillness marked his entire career.
We are immersed in his videos, in streaming, surrounded by screens. Viola’s works are uniquely intelligent because they revisit traditional art themes to meditate on death, martyrdom, and resurrection. By lingering on the screen, viewers are compelled to focus intently, watching and rewatching, isolating moments from the rapid rush of electronic images. Viola urges us not to be swept away by the shallow waters of media noise.
After Viola, video and film became more prominent in galleries and museums, reflecting the ever-changing, diverse world. Today, artists easily use screens, but Viola is remembered as the most serious and accessible artist to ever wield a video camera, likely remaining unparalleled as a video artist.