Bill Viola

When we went to go listen to Bill Viola today I was expecting to maybe hear about or see some of his specific works in art. However, although that would have been interesting as well, I was really pleasantly surprised with what he had to say. He spoke more about the philosophies or basis of creating art and how you can't focus on being successful and pleasing people because then you will lose yourself. Something that stuck with me in particular was his idea that creativity comes from those moments when you're alone or in your own private place which allows you to listen to the little sparks of inspiration [a thought, impulse, or feeling]. In this time of solitude, you aren't actually alone he said. When he began explaining the idea of Darshon [or when you are physically alone, yet there is another greater element that is beyond you that is necessary to create art]. In these moments is when you listen to your subconscious instead of your active mind which I can agree is a necessary ability in art. All of these balances between self and outer self both fascinated and confused me, yet it does all make sense. He mentioned that this is the only aspect of art that is left out of art education. And though that is true I thought that it is impossible to teach something like that; you can speak about it and philosophize about it, but if someone is truly focused on success and praise, they will never be what he described as a true "great artist". He stressed that you should not over analyze your work because then the initial idea that created it will be lost and that is the most important aspect of art. He talked about how art is a life long journey, not a job, which is why it doesn't matter if you're world renowned or not. The journey is not about knowledge, but about the question or mystery because once you arrive at an answer, the journey is over.