Table Of ContentArchit~
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1992.8
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V511
1987
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Bill Viola
INSTALLATIONS AND VIDEOTAPES
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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
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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
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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
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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
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