The Closed Spaces of Bill Viola
Abstract
The article is devoted to selected aspects of the work of Bill Viola. Pitrus focuses on immersive installations that the American artist created mainly in the 1980s. They had a very specific character, because they united the medium of video with interior design in a way that allowed viewers to immerse themselves in a kind of alternate reality. Bill Viola’s works are steeped in the traditions of both European art, as well as in the philosophy and aesthetics of the Far East. Therefore, their interpretation requires each time a different set of interpretative tools. On the other hand, this trend in Viola’s work is characterized by consistency and repetition of certain themes. This article is the first comprehensive review of the artist’s immersive installations that are both rarely presented and rarely discussed by critics.
Keywords:
Bill Viola, video art, American artReferences
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Authors
Andrzej Pitruskwartalnik.filmowy@ispan.pl
Jagiellonian University Poland
Profesor nauk humanistycznych w Instytucie Sztuk Audiowizualnych UJ. Zajmuje się kinem współczesnym, a także reklamą, grami wideo oraz sztuką nowych mediów. W 2012 r. ukazał się tom zbiorowy pod jego redakcją: Olbrzym w cieniu. Gry wideo w kulturze audiowizualnej. Obecnie pracuje nad monografią artysty wideo Billa Violi.
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Copyright (c) 2012 Andrzej Pitrus
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