Archit~ PN 1992.8 .V5 V511 1987 ·- J Bill Viola INSTALLATIONS AND VIDEOTAPES '. Bill Viola INSTALLATIONS AND VIDEOTAPES Essays by BARBARA LONDON J.HOBERMAN DONALD KUSPIT Selected Writings by BILL VIOLA Edited by BARBARA LONDON The Museum of Modern Art, New York )°'.• .. 1i I : ; I • I I _,, Published on the occasion of the exhibition Bill Viola October 16, 1987-January 3, 1988 organized by Barbara London, Assistant Curator, Video Department of Film The Museum of Modern Art, New York Copyright© 1987 The Museum of Modem Art, New York All rights reserved Library of Congress Catalogue Card Number 87-61945 ISBN 0-87070-624-1 Edited by Susan Weiley Designed by Emsworth Studios Production by Susan Schoenfeld Printed by Eastern Press, New Haven, Connecticut Bound by Sendor Bindery, Inc., New York, New York The Museum of Modern Art 11 West 53 Street New York, New York 10019 Printed in the United States of America Cover: Reasons fur Knocking al an Empl_v House. 1982. Video/sound installation, La Chartreuse. Villeneuve-les-Avignon, France. 1986. Frontispiece: Bill Viola on location for Room for SI. /ohn oft he Cross. Sierra Nevada Mountains. California. 1983. Contents . , .., . _. I Acknowledgments 7 Bill Viola: The Poetics of Light and Time 9 by Barbaro London Selected Works and Writings 23 by Bill Viola The Reflecting Pool: Bill Viola and the Visionary Company 63 by f. Haberman Bill Viola: Deconstructing Presence 73 by Donald Kuspit Comprehensive List of Works 81 Bibliography 87 List of Distributors 89 J Acknowledgments Following the Museum's more than problem-solving abilities, experience, helped sustain a calm equilibrium to the decade-long commitment to its experi and insight to planning the complex video program. mental video program with regular installations. Funding for the exhibition and catalog screenings, expanding archive, and The catalog could not have been done has been generously provided by Celeste study center, "Bill Viola: Installations without the contribution of many indi Bartos, the Contemporary Arts Council and Videotapes" is the Museum's first viduals. In particular it was a great plea of The Museum of Modern Art, and major exhibition to feature an artist who sure working with Designer Antony Margot and John Ernst. Support was also works primarily with video and sound. Drobinski. His sensitivity to the tem provided by the Sony Corporation of Carefully planned and organized over poral and technological aspects of Viola's America, the National Endowment for the last three years, the show has been a art contributed to his creating a beau the Arts, the New York State Council on challenging and rewarding endeavor, a tiful, eloquent publication. I am in the Arts, the John D. and Catherine T. stimulating experience heightened by debted to editor Susan Weiley for her MacArthur Foundation, and J. Walter the perspicacity and wit of Bill Viola clear thinking and especially her under Thompson USA, Inc. Their encourage himself. At every step of the way, many standing of the relation of the artist's ment means a great deal to the video friends have generously given their time work to Eastern philosophy. Susan program and to the field of independent and consideration, making the project Schoenfeld carefully oversaw pro video. possible. We are most grateful to the Los duction details and enthusiastically The work of Bill Viola has been sup Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art found effective solutions at every step. ported by the National Endowment for for lending its new acquisition, Viola's Throughout I have had the good fortune the Arts, the New York State Council on Room for St. John oft he Cross. of working with Kira Perov, whose the Arts, the Rockefeller Foundation, the While I am unable to individually photographs bring to life Viola's ideas John Simon Guggenheim Memorial thank everyone who has extended him discussed in the catalog. She also con Foundation, the Massachusetts Council self or herself on the exhibition's behalf, I tributed significantly to the chronology on the Arts and the Humanities, the want to mention a few key people. From and bibliography sections. I would also Sony Corporation, the Japan/U.S. Friend the very beginning I have benefited from like to thank Linda Fisher, Mary Lucier, ship Commission, the Polaroid Corpora and enjoyed Director of the Department Tom Wolf, and Brian Wood for their tion, and Art Matters, Inc. of Film Mary Lea Bandy's steadfast sup helpful conversations, which contrib port, enthusiasm, and keen intuition. uted to my own essay. B.L. The video program has received gener I also wish to acknowlege my appre ous support and encouragement from the ciation of the willingness of Garish Museum's Video Advisory Committee Bhargava, Jack Goldman, Abby Levine, and the Contemporary Arts Council. John McPherson, and Ken Nees of the Members have graciously given their Sony Corporation of America, Ren time, expertise, and financial assistance. McMann, George Moss, and Mark From these groups I would especially Schubin, to interrupt what they were like to thank Joyce and George Moss, doing to answer my numerous technical Barbara Pine, Jodie and John Eastman, questions. The staff at Electronic Arts and Terrence Eagleton. In organizing the . Intermix always responded enthusi exhibition, I came to have even greater astically to queries about Viola's video respect for Production Manager Jerry tapes. Throughout the exhibition's Neuner, who brought his thorough-going planning, my assistant Sally Berger J