43
Butler Institute of American Art ‘The Raft’ floods visual senses
By GUY D’ASTOLFO
A work of performance art by Bill Viola, who is commonly acknowledged as the world’s greatest video artist, will open this week at the Butler Institute of American Art.
“The Raft,” which depicts a group of people standing together when they are suddenly inundated with water, is a 10-minute video that is shown in a specially configured gallery space.
Louis A. Zona, director the Butler museum, said “The Raft” is like a painting that has come to life.
“Visitors will see a video of intense sight and sound with actors responding to the deluge of water hitting them,” said Zona. “It’s quite surreal and evocative.”
After the flood unexpectedly hits, the diverse and previously self- absorbed group of people in “The Raft” are forced to interact with each other to overcome the adversity.
Viola has called his work “a metaphor for today’s world.”
As the waves hit the group, some attempt to resist its power, while others fall to the ground. When the torrents cease, the group members begin to recover.
“The Raft” unfolds in slow motion, so the viewer can see the facial expressions and gestures of the performers, and the subtle emotions that would otherwise be overlooked.
Zona said the piece calls to mind Theodore Gericault’s 1819 painting “The Raft of the Medusa,” which depicts the aftermath of the sinking of a French Navy ship, adding that is just his interpretation. “Others may think of the Titanic, and others may see no reference to shipwrecks at all,” he said.
Viola created “The Raft” in 2004. The Butler approached him about presenting it in Youngstown. There are currently no plans for Viola to come to the Butler for the exhibition.
“The Raft” is being shown in the Flad Gallery of the Butler’s Beecher Center. Every aspect of its installation has been controlled by Viola’s studio in California, including placement of the projector, to wall coverings, to the amount of light permitted in the space.
A special projector was manufactured specifically for the Butler show.
The current exhibition is not the first time the Butler has played host to a Viola piece. In 2001, his work entitled “The Threshold” was at the museum.