GENERAL DESCRIPTION
In Bill Viola's The Crossing, two moving image works are projected simultaneously on a double-sided screen suspended in the middle of the space. Each projection shows a single action involving a human figure that culminates in its annihilation by one of two opposing natural forces, fire and water. The sequences, timed to play in perfect synchronization with the conflagration and deluge occurring simultaneously, climax in a crescendo of images and sound. The screens return to black and silence ensues before the cycle repeats. The two traditional natural elements of fire and water appear here not only in their destructive aspects, but manifest cathartic, purifying, and regenerative capacities as well. Self-annihilation is posited as a necessary means to transcendence and liberation, reflecting Viola's interest in Eastern and Western philosophies, religions, and poetry.
%
Adapted from
- Suzanne Weaver, "New Media at the Dallas Museum of Art," in Dallas Museum of Art, 100 Years , ed. Dorothy M. Kosinski (Dallas, TX: Dallas Museum of Art, 2003), Pamphlet number 79.
- DMA Label copy.
- DMA unpublished material, 1998.
NOTES
DMA Unpublished material = Acquisition proposal in Collections Records object file.
Catalogue essays
Artist/designers
Cultures
Geography
Process/materials
Historical periods
Individuals
Subject terms
RELATED OBJECTS
PROVENANCE
Until 1998: Bill Viola (b. 1951)
1998: Dallas Museum of Art, purchased from Bill Viola Studio, Long Beach, California
Notes:
The main source for this provenance is the copy of the invoice in the Collections Records object file (1998.190.A-P).
AUDIO ASSETS
- Listen to a special lecture by Bill Viola about The Crossing, 13311892: UMO
VIDEO ASSETS
- Watch Bill Viola's lecture on technology and revelation, 12936377: UMO
- Watch an archival interview on The Crossing with Suzanne Weaver and Bill Viola, 12936585: UMO
IMAGE ASSETS
WEB RESOURCES
- San Francisco Museum of Modern Art~Watch a video about the making of Bill Viola's The Crossing.
- San Francisco Museum of Modern Art~Watch footage from Bill Viola's The Crossing.
ARCHIVAL RESOURCES
FUN FACTS
TEACHING IDEAS
RULES
apply to objects where number equals 1998.190.A-P
Category
rules_operator
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General Description
In Bill Viola's The Crossing, two moving image works are projected simultaneously on a double-sided screen suspended in the middle of the space. Each projection shows a single action involving a human figure that culminates in its annihilation by one of two opposing natural forces, fire and water. The sequences, timed to play in perfect synchronization with the conflagration and deluge occurring simultaneously, climax in a crescendo of images and sound. The screens return to black and silence ensues before the cycle repeats. The two traditional natural elements of fire and water appear here not only in their destructive aspects, but manifest cathartic, purifying, and regenerative capacities as well. Self-annihilation is posited as a necessary means to transcendence and liberation, reflecting Viola's interest in Eastern and Western philosophies, religions, and poetry.
%
Adapted from
- Suzanne Weaver, "New Media at the Dallas Museum of Art," in Dallas Museum of Art, 100 Years , ed. Dorothy M. Kosinski (Dallas, TX: Dallas Museum of Art, 2003), Pamphlet number 79.
- DMA Label copy.
- DMA unpublished material, 1998.
Fun Facts
Archival Resources
Web Resources
- San Francisco Museum of Modern Art~Watch a video about the making of Bill Viola's The Crossing.
- San Francisco Museum of Modern Art~Watch footage from Bill Viola's The Crossing.
Notes
DMA Unpublished material = Acquisition proposal in Collections Records object file.
Catalogue essays
Artist/designers
Cultures
Geography
Process/materials
Historical periods
Individuals
Subject terms
RELATED OBJECTS
PROVENANCE
Until 1998: Bill Viola (b. 1951)
1998: Dallas Museum of Art, purchased from Bill Viola Studio, Long Beach, California
Notes:
The main source for this provenance is the copy of the invoice in the Collections Records object file (1998.190.A-P).
AUDIO ASSETS
- Listen to a special lecture by Bill Viola about The Crossing, 13311892: UMO
VIDEO ASSETS
- Watch Bill Viola's lecture on technology and revelation, 12936377: UMO
- Watch an archival interview on The Crossing with Suzanne Weaver and Bill Viola, 12936585: UMO
rules
Apply To
Objects
number
Equals
1998.190.A-P
source file
object_notes_2_c-0315.xml.nores