Bill Viola

Biography

A pioneer in the medium of video art, Bill Viola's work explores the spiritual and perceptual side of human experience. Since 1970 he has created videotapes, architectural video installations, sound environments, electronic music performances and pieces for television. Works include Hatsu Yume (First Dream), The Passing, and installations Room for St. John of the Cross, The Messenger and The Quintet of the Astonished, recently shown at the National Gallery, London in "Encounters, New Art from Old". A 25-year survey exhibition of his work organized by The Whitney Museum of American Art recently traveled to 6 institutions in the USA and Europe. MacArthur Fellow.

Most Famous Work

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Return

(1975) Writer

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The Dreamers

(2013) Director

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The Voyage

(2002) Director

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The Path

(2002) Director

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The Raft

(2004) Writer

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Sodium Vapor

(1986) Director

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Surrender

(2001) Director

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Anima

(2000) Director

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Acting

Year	Character	Movie/Tv
2017	Self	Bill Viola: The Road to St. Paul's 2017-11-08 Movie
2013	Self	What Is Cinema? 2013-09-06 Movie
2003	Self	Bill Viola: The Eye of the Heart 2003-12-12 Movie
2002	Gatekeeper	The Voyage 2002-02-07 Movie
1983	N/A	Reasons for Knocking at an Empty House 1983-08-06 Movie
1975	N/A	Return 1975-09-04 Movie
Year	Character	Movie/Tv

Directing

Year	Role	Movie/Tv
2018	Director	Wagner: Tristan und Isolde 2018-09-11 Movie
2016	Director	Mary 2016-09-16 Movie
2014	Director	Martyrs: Earth 2014-06-29 Movie
	Director	Martyrs: Water 2014-05-05 Movie
	Director	Martyrs: Fire 2014-04-08 Movie
	Director	Martyrs: Air 2014-03-05 Movie
	Director	Martyrs 2014-01-05 Movie
	Director	Inverted Birth 2014-01-01 Movie
2013	Director	Man Searching for Immortality/Woman Searching for Eternity 2013-01-01 Movie
	Director	The Dreamers 2013-01-01 Movie
2012	Director	The Encounter 2012-12-11 Movie
	Director	Walking on the Edge 2012-04-04 Movie
2011	Director	A Phrase from Chris 2011-08-06 Movie
2008	Director	The Innocents 2008-08-08 Movie
	Director	Three Women 2008-01-01 Movie
2007	Director	Ocean Without a Shore 2007-01-01 Movie
2005	Director	Basin of Tears 2005-10-04 Movie
	Director	Ablutions 2005-07-10 Movie
	Director	Tristan’s Ascension (The Sound of a Mountain Under a Waterfall) 2005-01-01 Movie
	Director	Fire Woman 2005-01-01 Movie
2004	Director	The Tristan Project 2004-12-03 Movie
	Director	The Raft 2004-05-01 Movie
2003	Director	Emergence 2003-01-01 Movie
2002	Director	Fire Birth 2002-02-09 Movie
	Director	The Path 2002-02-08 Movie
	Director	The Voyage 2002-02-07 Movie
	Director	Going Forth By Day 2002-01-01 Movie
2001	Director	Four Hands 2001-07-11 Movie
	Director	Catherine's Room 2001-01-30 Movie
	Director	Surrender 2001-01-01 Movie
2000	Director	The Quintet of the Astonished 2000-07-13 Movie
	Director	Anima 2000-05-30 Movie
1996	Director	The Crossing 1996-07-01 Movie
1995	Director	The Veiling 1995-06-10 Movie
	Director	The Greeting 1995-01-01 Movie
1994	Director	Déserts 1994-09-05 Movie
1992	Director	The Passing 1992-01-31 Movie
	Director	The Sleepers 1992-01-01 Movie
	Director	Slowly Turning Narrative 1992-01-01 Movie
	Director	The Nantes Triptych 1992-01-01 Movie
	Director	Heaven and Earth 1992-01-01 Movie
1990	Director	The Stopping Mind 1990-12-01 Movie
1989	Director	Angel's Gate 1989-01-01 Movie
1986	Director	Sodium Vapor 1986-08-06 Movie
	Director	I Do Not Know What It Is I Am Like 1986-06-12 Movie
	Director	Silent Life 1986-04-16 Movie
1984	Director	Reverse Television - Portraits of Viewers 1984-01-01 Movie
1983	Director	Reasons for Knocking at an Empty House 1983-08-06 Movie
	Director	Anthem 1983-01-01 Movie
1982	Director	Ancient of Days 1982-10-12 Movie
1981	Director	Hatsu Yume (First Dream) 1981-01-01 Movie
1980	Director	Vegetable Memory 1980-04-16 Movie
1979	Director	The Reflecting Pool 1979-12-05 Movie
	Director	Moonblood 1979-04-16 Movie
	Director	Chott el-Djerid (A Portrait in Light and Heat) 1979-01-01 Movie
	Director	Moving Stillness: Mount Rainier 1979 1979-01-01 Movie
1977	Director	Memories Of Ancestral Power 1977-05-15 Movie
	Director	The Morning After the Night of Power 1977-01-01 Movie
	Director	Sweet Light 1977-01-01 Movie
	Director	The Wheel of Becoming 1977-01-01 Movie
	Director	Memory Surfaces and Mental Prayers 1977-01-01 Movie
	Director	He Weeps for You 1977-01-01 Movie
1976	Director	Songs of Innocence 1976-08-06 Movie
	Director	Four Songs 1976-08-06 Movie
	Director	Truth Through Mass Individuation 1976-08-06 Movie
	Director	The Space Between the Teeth 1976-08-06 Movie
	Director	Junkyard Levitation 1976-08-06 Movie
	Director	Migration (for Jack Nelson) 1976-01-01 Movie
1975	Director	Return 1975-09-04 Movie
	Director	Playing Soul Music to My Freckles 1975-09-04 Movie
	Director	A Non-Dairy Creamer 1975-09-04 Movie
	Director	The Semi-Circular Canals 1975-09-04 Movie
	Director	A Million Other Things (2) 1975-09-04 Movie
	Director	Red Tape: Collected Works 1975-09-04 Movie
1973	Director	Information 1973-01-01 Movie
	Director	The Crossing Movie
	Director	Eternal Return Movie
Year	Role	Movie/Tv

Writing

Year	Role	Movie/Tv
2016	Writer	Mary 2016-09-16 Movie
2005	Idea	Tristan’s Ascension (The Sound of a Mountain Under a Waterfall) 2005-01-01 Movie
2004	Writer	The Raft 2004-05-01 Movie
1989	Idea	Angel's Gate 1989-01-01 Movie
1983	Writer	Reasons for Knocking at an Empty House 1983-08-06 Movie
	Writer	Anthem 1983-01-01 Movie
1976	Idea	Migration (for Jack Nelson) 1976-01-01 Movie
1975	Writer	Return 1975-09-04 Movie
Year	Role	Movie/Tv

Crew

Year	Role	Movie/Tv
1994	Cinematography	Déserts 1994-09-05 Movie
1979	Creator	Chott el-Djerid (A Portrait in Light and Heat) 1979-01-01 Movie
Year	Role	Movie/Tv

Editing

Year	Role	Movie/Tv
1994	Editor	Déserts 1994-09-05 Movie
1989	Editor	Angel's Gate 1989-01-01 Movie
1976	Editor	Migration (for Jack Nelson) 1976-01-01 Movie
Year	Role	Movie/Tv

Camera

Year	Role	Movie/Tv
1989	Director of Photography	Angel's Gate 1989-01-01 Movie
1977	Director of Photography	Guadalcanal Requiem 1977-01-01 Movie
1976	Director of Photography	Migration (for Jack Nelson) 1976-01-01 Movie
Year	Role	Movie/Tv