Observance

Bill Viola (born 1951)

Walker Art Gallery

2002

Part of 'The Passions' series. Based on Albrect Dürer 'Four Apostles' (1526) where a community of feeling is created through the shared ritual of grief. In Viola's interpretation the actors form a narrow row and are asked to step forward to look at 'something they would rather not see... to say goodbye to someone who'd left them'. As each person moves to the front of the row they pause, as if overcome with emotion. Their shared mourning creates a solemn public event that gains added poignancy in the context of contemporary world events. The clothes worn by the actors are overtly contemporary, but their saturated colours pay homage to Dürer's original scheme, and the traditional colours worn by the Apostles.

• Medium: colour high-definition video on plasma display
• Dimensions: 120.7 x 72.4 x 10.2cm
• Art Fund Grant: £41118 ( Total: £82,237)
• ArtFunded in: 2004
• Vendor: Haunch of Venison

Provenance

The artist.

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