Bill Viola - The Greeting (1995)

Born in New York in 1951, Bill Viola is one of the world's leading video artists. He has been making video art since 1970, when the first portable cameras and recorders became available. His work has ranged from single videotapes to immersive architectural video installations including video projections, sound and sometimes physical objects. Deeply involved in Buddhism, Viola's preoccupations have always been the inner or spiritual-self and the boundaries of consciousness. Since the death of his parents and birth of his children in the 1990s his work has often drawn on his own life to explore recurring themes of birth, death, self-discovery and personal transformation.

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• bill
• viola
• the
• greeting
• passions

[htaylormusic]

@1SamYabes That's why it is art. By taking something 'everyday' and showing you what he feels and thinks about it, he's creating a work of art. Think about this greeting. You have know idea who these people are or their relationship to each other. But you can see every detail of their excitement, their passion. It's even been slowed to a glacial pace to allow you to see everything. Every expression on their faces and every movement of their bodies. I think that is beautiful..also, what is 'art'?

[microdonut]

Sometimes cover versions make sense

[MrJordiNL]

/facepalm

[THXLastShadow]

This is based on "The Visitation" by Jacopo da Pontormo so it is expressive and art is subjective to the viewer. To the naysayers...Remember that just b/c you may not think it is art doesn't make it so.

[masterfishfinger]

@1SamYabes the complete piece is actually 10 min long ,all slow motion.I think the original is like 40 sec. It is very nice to watch as the people are very expressive with their expressions and gestures, and the slow version lets you see this in a lot of detail, thus making a every day meeting into a artistic piece.

[1SamYabes]

How is this art? It's two people embracing, we see it everyday but when we hear there's a work of art of two people embracing, the artwork is suddenly amazing

[JonDJenkins]

It is a beautiful piece - I saw the exhibition in London a while ago. Most of the videos I've seen on YouTube seem very fast. One of the interesting things about Bill Viola's pieces is that they can seem like a still image if you just quickly glance at them; but if you stay to look more closely, you begin to realise the characters are moving. A moving image in more ways than one!

[consternation6]

Surely this should be ten minutes long: Viola strecthed the 34 second tape to museum length specially. However, that does not seem to change the fact that it is rather basic in its kitsch sentiments and execution.

[giannetto1000]

I met Bill in Venice(the real one) in the late 90's and he told to me that this video work (re)created a famous Pontormo's portrait,an italian painter born in 1494 in Florence

[ddtoots]

thank you soo much for putting this up.

i almsot died when i first saw this piece. it was amazing. viola IS amazing.

anyway, thank you for this!