Bill Viola: My Baby's Daddy

Last Thursday my Neighborhood Narratives class got the chance to step outside of the TUJ classroom and spend the evening at the Mori Muesuem to check out the most premium of video artists Bill Viola. Although I've been wanting to, I haven't been able to check out any galleries or exhibits worth seeing here in Tokyo. In Philly I would go to galleries at least every month (usually nothing worth writing home about) but since I've been in Tokyo there has been a void of slow-motion, inner expressionistic/conscienceistic/zenistic video installation art in my life. How could I deny the fulfillment of my artistic thirst any longer????

Yeah, I really dug the Bill Viola exhibit. I often have a strong distaste for video art because I never ever see anything worth falling in love with. I've seen too much video artcrap that I often times don't ever give it the time of day anymore. But I heard good things about Bill Viola from Ron and Irene in class, so I was willing to open myself up and allow his video art to penetrate me deep inside once again, perhaps being able to touch me in ways that I've never been touched before. I was naked. Vulnerable. I wanted...I needed Bill Viola to take me as his own. Nurture me. Allow me to suckle from the teat of enlightenment and inspiration that only video art can provide. I wanted Bill Viola to make me big and strong. To feed me baby food and tuck me in at night. To wake me up before he goes goes. And most of all...to tell me that he respects me as a son and as a lover. So after our 5 month affair, I was really inspired to acheive more with my project in terms of installation and how it can be displayed. I also was given the opportunity to observe many of the observers of his art. Many would stand motionless for 8 minutes just watching one of his videos unfold. Viola's ability to capture the attention his viewers combined with the devotion that many viewers have watching a single video puts me at ease with my project. I was a little afraid that it would run far too long (which it will) but have assured myself that my plans for my project will acheive the resulted effect I'm looking for. I don't know how to express it with words at this moment in time, but there's an idea. I still need to do some more planning and write my artist's statement before I begin to execute it. Only when this is done will I truly know the meaning of life.

That'll be $70 Sir

Last night I decided to take the time to play around with the program Korsakow, while attempting to read the manual. This program was introduced to me by Ron Carr as an interactive medium though which we can display our final projects. The program seems very interesting, allowing the viewer to choose many different paths, some paths interconnecting each other, potentially reaching an ultimate destination or starting over again. This presents multiple outcomes, which will give me the flexibility I need for my project.

So last night I played with the program after reading the manual and what before seemed complex became very simple. The logic behind the program is very intersting but I still feel there are some limitations to it. I'm not sure if I can change the graphic appearance of the SNUs, such as the size and placement of the windows and I don't want to be limited to the maximum number of windows Korsakow allows. Maybe I can change it around. I still have to play with it some more.

So after not being able to connect the SNUs at the specific time I chose, I became frustrated and closed the program for the day. Later that night I had a dream where I was in a fiery cave in hell, and I was seated at a computer working on my Korsakow project. I couldn't link my project for shit, the same problem I had in the real world, and I asked my professor (a cross breed of Ron and Steve) and he said "Oh, if you want to link the videos, you'll have to buy the program. It costs $70." And I was all like, "F that man."

Maybe it's a sign that I shouldn't use Korsakow.