Bill Viola (1)

I am extremely sorry to read of the death of Bill Viola (https://mailchi.mp/southernandpartners/remembering-bill-viola-1951-2024?e=67a409c7c3).

I have never forgotten the impact of first seeing his work in Durham Cathedral. We were driving south and stopped in Durham, where The Messenger was displayed in the nave.

In autumn 2003, he did an exhibition at the National Gallery called The Passions, which had first been shown by John Walsh at the Getty. It was the first time that there had been a monographic exhibition by a living artist and worked very well in the basement galleries of the Sainsbury Wing – a small number of works filling the space in a way which was profound.

More recently, on 9 February 2017, I visited him and his wife, Kira Perov, at their studio in Los Angeles. As we left, I took a photograph of him. I don’t normally do this, but I think I knew that it was probably the last time I would see him.

I am re-posting it in his memory:-

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4 thoughts on “Bill Viola (1)”

  1. Richard Bram's avatar Richard Bram says:

    I just saw this news and it has made me very sad. I have had very little patience for video art, but Viola was one of the very, very few whom I rated highly. I remember well the exhibition in the Sainsbury Wing and was just knocked out by it. I may have watched all of the works for a couple of hours. He was far too young. Your photograph of him is beautiful, Charles.

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  2. sandynairne's avatar sandynairne says:

    Thanks for sharing that lovely photograph. It is indeed very sad, though poor Bill has been in poor health and suffering for many years. I was closely involved over many years in the two works, ‘Martyrs’ and ‘Mary’, on permanent display at St Paul’s – https://www.stpauls.co.uk/martyrs-and-mary-by-bill-viola – which were created by Bill and Kira specially for the Cathedral. (These can be visited during sightseeing hours, and I think an Art Fund Art Pass allows that to be for free). And of course there are various pieces in Tate’s collection.

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    • Dear Sandy, I wondered whether to put in about St. Paul’s too. I read a good piece online about how difficult it had been to get permission to instal it and the role you and Graham Southern had played. Charles

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