Bill Viola - The Messenger
Entering a dark room at the Dowse Art Gallery, I quickly took a seat. Moments later a group of young teens entered the room, I soon found myself wishing they'd STFU & after a while, they did. Bill Viola's colossal works have a hypnagogic effect - even on 15 year olds.
For the duration of the short film I was immersed, transfixed almost by the great wall of trembling water and the strangely foreboding figure floating toward me. For some time I could not make sense of the form - what exactly it belonged to & if indeed it were even human. The kids mumbled something about "stupid" and wandered off. I found myself thinking maybe I don't get it either. But then I began to make out a man, his ghostly pale form beautifully distorted beneath the rippling water. Well, you think he's just a man. But when he surfaces he doesn't blink. It's a bit religious I suppose.
For me The Messenger was about the perceived unknown & how fleeting this moment can be - that is, if you stick around to unmask the mystery. Viola captivates his viewers by methods of sensual immersion while simultaneously daring you to make sense of the surreal. His works envelop you and
the vast dark spaces in which his works occupy overwhelm the viewer, beneath his monstrous projections you feel insignificant, humbled but intrinsically connected to the medium.
