Combining film, and other video forms, with

the surrounding environment and objects1,

installations strive to affect the audience to
garner a response2. It has become somewhat
ubiquitous and can be located in the
conventional museum/gallery as well as
specific sites.
In terms of their content, they can be narrative
or non-narrative, dependent on the creator
and the subject matter. The former of these
necessitates a storyline and development3,
which can be present in the footage and the
staging of the area. The latter, on the other
hand, does not have this structure or plot line
but instead attempts to be nonrepresentational4. Essentially, it does not
retell or explore any event, be it real or
imaginary.
Instrumental in the establishment of video as
a vital form of contemporary art5, Bill Viola is
famed for his work
within the installation
medium. Consisting
of
Video,
3
projections, colour
and sound (stereo)6,
Nantes Triptych has
an illusory aesthetic in the muted colours and
home-video qualities afforded by the use of
the projectors. The first and last panels,
conveying birth and death respectively,
foretell the two certainties in life; no matter
how long we inhabit the Earth for, all shall
experience these aspects. As such, the
individual suspended in water represents the
dreamlike state that constitutes the lack of
control we possess in regards to our actions, if

http://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/engl
ish/video-installation
2
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_installation
3
http://www.dictionary.com/browse/narrative

we were to follow the notion that we exist in a

pre-conceived channel-should our behaviour
and the outcomes of all events be determined
in advance, there is nothing that can be done
to alter the eventual fates of ourselves and
others. Furthermore, when submerged in
liquid, time seems to slow and our perception
of what is occurring around us becomes
distorted (as a result of the diffraction of light
through the substance). As such, this implies
that whilst negotiating the challenges of this
purgatory, we do not see the complete picture,
but a fragmented variation that is constructed
of what we have been able to learn about this
journey that we are on.
Fundamentally, the use of a split-screen allows
us to watch a trio of streams at once. This
permits us to see the coinciding themes of
existence and how one thing cannot occur
without another. To elaborate, for every flame
that is extinguished, a new spark is lit.
Furthermore, all of
these events happen
simultaneously,
constantly, just like in
the footage.
The juxtaposition of
the unsullied new-born and the blank
expression of the near deceased demonstrates
how on entering the world we have everything
to fear-we have no comprehension of what
anything is-as we wait to pass over, however,
it is implied that these terrors (or, in fact, our
pleasures) are meaningless when we recognise
that all we have done has led to our leaving the
mortal toil. The comparatively obscure centre
frame projects the existential nature that life
can adopt; we live in a world where existence,

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-narrative_film
http://www.billviola.com/biograph.htm
6
http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/violanantes-triptych-t06854/text-summary
5

freedom, and
choice7 form
the foundations
of our abilities
and
achievements.
Essentially,
without one of
these aspects, our options are significantly
impaired. Similarly, water alludes to
expansiveness and depth of a persons life;
there are no limits as to what can be
accomplished, nor is there a means of preemptively measuring their length of being or
success. The close proximity of the frames is
indicative of the stages being intrinsically
related; there can be no life without death, no
experience without birth and no passing
without even the smallest amount of the
aforementioned experiences. The lack of
boundaries and the dark tones of the middle
show how seamless the transition from young
to old is, and aging is so smooth we are not
always aware of it. Despite how near they are,
the slight gap references how these steps are
so diametrically opposed; hope contrasts with
death,
possibility
with
inevitability,
opportunity with regret. Ultimately, it is
possible to combine the distance with its lack
of to reach the conclusion that no matter how
many years we breath for, it is not a long time
and despite its tumultuous periods (like the
man struggling in the water), it is a relatively
simplistic concept that cannot last forever. The
size of the installation (460 x 970 x 1680 cm)8
shows the enormity of the topic whilst
enveloping the audience in the circumstances
being portrayed.
By displaying Nantes Triptych in what appears
to be a darkened room, it creates the feeling
that nothing else matters but the present as it
is impossible to ignore the large images
projected in front of us. As with most
7

http://www.thecry.com/existentialism/
http://www.artfund.org/supportingmuseums/art-weve-helpedbuy/artwork/5383/nantes-triptych-bill-viola
8

exhibitions,
a
number
of
people will be
watching at any
one time. By
coupling
this
forced intimacy
with the lack of
light, we are forced to reflect on our own
timelines, whilst recognising that we are
maybe not so different from the remainder of
the population; we are alone with our
thoughts, but the presence and influence of
others is undeniable in both their physicality
and subliminal, mental effect.
The static camera9 ensures that our sole focus
is the relevant action. This recreates the feeling
of being in the moment, so to speak. When we
encounter these points, be they heartrending
or miraculous, we cannot look away, nor can
we divert our thoughts or eyes. As such, Viola
reminds us what it is means to only be able to
pay attention to the now and what it means to
witness the incomparable events being
portrayed through this installation. It also
serves to separate the audience from the
footage in how the lack of camera movement
does not give the appearance of a first person
perspective; we are not assuming the role of
someone who knows these individuals but are
looking on as ourselves. Resultant of this, we
are emotionally detached as we have no way
of connecting to the characters be it by
looking through the eyes of another or our own
knowledge.
Viola also shows the differentiation between
unity and loneliness. Exemplified by the
opposite image, the Mother, child and
presumed Father work in harmony, in the last
minutes of complete togetherness, to
introduce a new life to the world whereas the
woman on the right is seemingly alone,
9

http://atkjoel.blogspot.co.uk/2010/03/bill-violavideo-artist-heaven-and.html

sacrificing herself so as the baby can take her

place. This implies that for the new to flourish
and grow, there must be a purging amongst
the existing to clear the way for those yet to be
fully inducted into humanity.
In terms of the plot,
Nantes Triptych is a
depiction of the
human journey and
our travels from the
beginning to end.
Linear in its form, it
does not lose its
enigmatic qualities
merely because it
progresses
chronologically,
instead attaining a cathartic tone. Despite
conforming to the narrative form, it strives to
alienate itself from convention and does not
provide us with every detail, instead preferring
us to make our own inferences. This initial lack
of comprehension could be reiterating just
how little we know about the processes and
reasoning between life and death. On a
sentimental note, by having the final panel
explore the artists own parent in her final
stages10, it could also be a bitter representation
of the cyclical nature of the realm in which we
reside, and the futility of it all; we are bought
into the world by one, only to be taken from it
by an unseen force.
During its early run, the piece evoked criticism
and controversy as a product of its graphic
portrayals of childbirth and death11. This could
be as the images shown are the embodiments
of our deepest fears; encountering the new
and strange and losing the old and cherished.
Additionally, they are bold themes that are
bound to unsettle most viewers in some

manner; as with anything that contains

philosophical dwellings, there is the high risk of
touching the nerves of the public. This aside,
the work is celebrated12, suggesting that
critics and viewers alike have been able to
resonate with the
topics. Unlike the cast
who all appear alone
at points throughout,
Nantes
Triptych
serves to unite the
audience through the
isolation on screen.
The scenes depicted
will affect all of us in
some way, thus
helping the onlooker
realise that this piece is designed to be an
outpouring, a sharing, of emotion.
Utilising the principle of multiple perspective
and streams of film, Bruce Naumans Clown
Torture precedes Nantes Triptych by five years,
and incorporates two pedestals, each
supporting a pair of stacked colour monitors,
two large, colour-video projections on facing
walls, and sound13. The barren and dispersed
presentation of the set give the impression
that there is always someone watching, but in
such a way that we cannot deduce whether or
not the entities observing us are real or
fictitious.
Likewise,
the
sound of the six
feeds playing at
once
implies
that there is no
escape
from
these characters; together, particular words
are indecipherable which creates a mocking
qualityit is as if we are being judged and

10

12

http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2014/
may/23/bill-viola-video-artist-interview-tatemodern-st-pauls-cathedral
11
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/art/artnews/10847754/Stained-glass-for-the-21stCentury-St-Pauls-installs-plasma-screen-art.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/art/10844409
/Bill-Viola-on-St-Pauls-Cathedral-commission-Itflummoxed-me.html
13

http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/exhibitions/
Modern/Clown

ridiculed based on our actions. By displaying

one item per television or projection, we can
begin to see the almost bipolar nature of the
Clowns personality-he goes from dancing to
sitting comparatively placidly on a toilet.
Ultimately, we are being shown the mans
erratic thought processes and his inability to
undertake more than one task at a time.
Despite this, he is still able to haunt us leaving
us unable to forget any of what we have seen.
The darkness of the area reinforces the fearful
ambience and ideology of there being
something incredibly unsettling playing out.
Alternatively, the apparent delusions and
insanity
which
is
conveyed
through the
short
scenes
which are
played on the devices make us feel as though
we are intruding on the life of this clown; it is
as if we have developed an obsession with the
clown and can
concentrate on
nothing
else,
forced
to
discreetly and
covertly watch
the object of our
affections through CCTV type screens. The use
of the lexis Torture begs the question, is it us or
him that is suffering through this turmoil? His
maniacal mannerisms partnered with the
almost unbearable conglomeration of audio
creates an atmosphere that is reminiscent of
an asylum; we are bearing witness to the
incoherent ramblings and actions of a man
whose appearance conforms to many a
deepest fear, hence punishing us with his
presence. At the same time, however, there is
the indication that he himself is afflicted; he
could be a prisoner of his own mind and lack
14

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFLmX4-b7M

the ability to behave outside of these

compulsions. As such, he is as disturbed and
disquieted as the viewer.
The section known as Pete and Repeat14 uses
repetition to instil the visuals and dialogue in
the audiences mind. By constantly vocalising
the same sentence Pete and Repeat are sitting
on a fence, Pete falls off, whos left? We
become transfixed by the speaker and
obsessed with deducing a meaning. This
furthers the sanatorium feel through its
resemblance to our preconceived notions of a
facility of this kind; we envision patients
muttering the same phrases to themselves
constantly, and conducting motions that we
might consider peculiar. This unnerves us
inherently as there are few things more
terrifying than being given no option but to
submit to insanity, like the protagonist has
arguably done. This is also seen in the film of
the clown screaming NO! constantly15; it is as
if he can no longer stand himself or his
circumstances and has regressed to an
infantile state and has a tantrum to try and get
his own way.
Where Nantes Triptych appeals to our morbid
curiosity and fascination regarding the human
form, making us contemplate the wonders and
intricacies of life, Nauman piece builds a lurid,
perverse tone. The grainy quality of the
footage suggests that we are intruding on this
mans life, looking into places where we have
no right to. Furthermore, the square and
rectangular shape of the screens is emblematic
of a window, and more precisely, a window to
the characters soul. By looking into his
subconscious, we see his true form. This, in
turn, is representative of how he is unable to
express these characteristics through fear of
breaking the theoretical boundaries of society.

15

http://archive.newmuseum.org/index.php/Detail/
Object/Show/object_id/3243

Consequentially, the Clown is symbolic of the

psychosis and lunacy present in all of us, and
our inability to communicate our actual
intentions or frame of mind. His candidness,
along with the open space of the exhibition
room, hint at how we have the room and
freedom to be ourselves, so to speak, but are
not. Additionally, the use of just one actor
reiterates by bringing forth the controversial
way of thinking that no one matters but
oneself. This is the antithesis of Violas work in
the sense that the birthing scene informs us
that the very fabric of our existence is a
product of another, and we have to be thankful
for that. Inevitably, this sense of gratitude is
not found in Clown Torture. Instead, we are left
pondering the concepts of self-centredness
and the strength of our own mentality. The
different styles of jester seen throughout,
conveys how insanity and paranoia can take
many formssome more typical than others.
The face paint seen on the actor is indicative of
a person displaying one set of emotions, but
feeling another. This careful disguise that
almost everyone will adopt at some point, is
strenuous on the mind. As such, that could be
this characters undoing; he has pretended to
be joyous, cheerful and appealing to his
audience for so long that he can neither
contain his honest emotions any longer or feel
anything but dejectedness and depression.
This also triggers the possibility that the white
walls surrounding the man are those of his
Institution Cell. No more can he function in
society so he is locked away to live out his
obscure articulations. As the audience, we
assume the role of psychiatrists, making our
own judgments on the ailments of this
manwe search for any justification for his
mannerisms.
The number of feeds that both Nauman and
Viola use help to extend the meaning. The
latter uses three, alluding to the Holy Trinity
16

https://carm.org/what-trinity

(The Father, Son and Holy Spirit)16. When we

look at the themes of birth, life and death it is
possible to note the Religious overtones; to a
believer,
these are all
divine
possibilities,
the ease and
duration of
which
is
dictated by
God. Contradicting this, the former artist uses
six and in Biblical terms, triple six is the sign of
the Anti-Christ and Hell. Combine this with the
unsettling subject matter, and his unusual
patterns of behaviour, and we are looking at an
individual who, years ago, could have been
accused of being possessed, or involved with
Satan in some manner. This is corroborated by
the mass perception of clowns as being
nightmarish, with motivations similar to Mr.
Pennywise and John Wayne Gacy and the
deep, not-child-friendly way in which he
speaks. Essentially, this reinforces the notion
that we can transcend the boundaries
between reality and fiction and that the
individual featured in the installation is in an
ominous area that could be either of these.
Clown Torture is probably best described as
being non-narrative. It does not relay an
obvious, linear story, instead collecting a
handful of examples chronicling the comedic
failings of a clown. Admittedly, there are
inferences to be made but no plot. In the
circumstances, this proves to be effective; we
are searching for justification and background
information where the motivation is, in
actuality, quite simpleto just {be} there all at
once17. Nantes Triptych has been created to
enlighten and educate the viewer on one of the
philosophical outlooks on life whereas this
seeks to destroy any sense of comfort and ease
we may be experiencing. It is the absence of
any of these conventions that draws us to the
17

http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/artwork/146
989

product; in essence, it is the lack of formula

that makes us want to learn more as we do not
attain the answers that we so desire.
The work has received generally positive
responses, with Eye Magazine describing
Naumans
work
as
being
in
possession
of
a
deceptive
simplicity
whilst
simultaneously being affecting and absorbing
and The Yale Herald urging the reader to go
and hear the sounds and see the videos for

themselves18. This is representative of how the

audience often judge items/humans at face
value before looking deeper into their meaning
and purpose. Similarly, the piece is subject to
analysis and discussion across the internet19.
Inevitably, some delve more into the illusive
and disguised interpretations than others.
Unlike the previous two sources, there are
those who do not enjoy this work, perhaps due
to not being able to look past the outer faade.
Instead, they do not believe that it can be
classified as Art, and is disturbing and
bizarre20.
Although both Viola and Nauman continue to
practice their art to this day, one of the

deceased forefathers of the movement lives on

through the work he created. Nam June Paik
helped to revolutionise the form with pieces
such as TV Buddha truly utilising multiple
platforms. The closed circuit television permits
the audience to become the installation and
see themselves in relation to the designed unit.
Consequentially, the boundaries between the
fictitious realm and ours are eliminated,
leaving us pondering what separates us from
the events and people onscreen. In turn, the
distorted, flickering quality is indicative of how
we see ourselves, others and events; often, we
experience/perceive things in ways which
oppose the actuality21.
Made in the 1980s and 90s, there are a
number of iterations of the TV Buddha22. They
convey the varying states of mind that an
individual can possess, much like with
Naumans Clown Torture; there is no single
definition of normality or happy but only
personal interpretations of the term. But,
perhaps more poignantly, it demonstrates the
level of control and power the media has over
us; the statues are not expressionless, but
joyful or contemplative. The absence of
movement on the part of the figures portrays
the transfixion that can overcome us when we
are truly engaged in a program or film; nothing
can deter our focus or mysticism from a
product that corresponds with our personal
preferences. Moreover, it displays how we can
be made to feel anything-indoctrinated, evenby what we view through the units that have
evolved into everyday itemsIt is almost as if
they now control us, and not the other way
around. Essentially, we are victims of our own
creation.
The vastness of the exhibition room is
illustrative of how very little else matters when

18

21

http://www.yaleherald.com/archive/xix/3.2.95/art
s/moma.html
19
http://www.theartstory.org/artist-naumanbruce-artworks.htm
20
http://mleddy.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/brucenaumans-clown-torture.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8s6imG7UJ1
Q
22

http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2010/
dec/19/nam-june-paik

we interact with television and, in the modern

age, a plethora of other technological marvels.
It conveys how we separate ourselves from the
rest of the world, often subconsciously, as we
become entwined in
the storylines of the
shows that we watch.
Likewise, it creates it is
a visual manifestation
of the voids we have in
our life that can only be
filled by fictitious
circumstances
and
programming.
The
spotlight on the Buddha in the above image
explores the notion of spirituality in the sense
that it highlights the conventional religious
article and the set which is, to some, a 21st
Century idol. This is reinforced by the camera
recording this character as it shows us that
television is God, and has an infinite degree of
power. At the core, not even our perceptions
of God are left uninfluenced by the content
that we are continually exposed to. On the
other hand, it could be a means of relaying the
idea that these modern advances are almost
divine in their nature and have been gifted to
us by a higher power.
The
weathering
of
the
mound and
Buddha in
the opposite
image
demonstrates the emotional and physical
degradation we can encounter when we
surrender ourselves to the allure and promises
of the media. We begin to lose sight of the
aspects of life outside of these mediums as we
dedicate more time to engaging with shows
etc.; the enchanted viewer aspires to those on
screen, yet journeys away from their true self,
they admire the world and opportunities
shown to them, but become more gluttonous
and reliant on this entertainment as a result;
unlike Nantes Triptych which showcases the

wonders and unpredictability of all that

surrounds and how we can exist in freedom
with a multitude of prospects, TV Buddha
explores how we become too comfortable; we
fall
into
routines,
victims of our once
innocent
interests,
before the promises to
ourselves are left
unfulfilled, and we are
left living with the what
ifs.
The close up of the face
is ironic; whilst non-obsessive periods of
watching television can serve to inform and
educate, extensive measures do the antithesis.
No longer will we be attaining knowledge, but
releasing it as it suffices that we do not now
possess the motivations to do elsewise. As
such, there comes a point where there is little
more to do but look at the images before us,
not register them. Likewise, the lack of any
surrounding areas/people in the shot is
indicative of how we can become self-centred
and reclusive as a consequence of our
commitments to these products. The single
character does resemble the man in the middle
panel of Violas work in the sense that it
informs us that we are in control of our own
destinies and cannot hold others accountable
for the decisions that we make. On the other
hand, it does not show the importance of
others like in the birthing scene of the
aforementioned piece.
The camera allows the audience to be included
in the installation, hence investigating how we
as viewers communicate with art, as well as
our relationship with the featured entities. As
such, those watching will be perplexed by the
reflection that can be sought in the work; it
initiates pondering on both the work, and
ones own habits. Consequentially, and like the
featured Buddha, it is somewhat philosophical
and able to make us think on subjects deeper
than we ordinarily would.

Nam June Paik is widely praised within the art

communities. By working with icons such as
Cage, Cunningham, and Yoko Ono he is
lauded with the honour of having invented an
art form23. There is the serious probability that
without his visionary, futuristic and pioneering
notions we would have seen the evolutionary
steps taken by Viola and Nauman; the latter
has gone so far as to utilise the television sets
and CCTV aesthetic in Clown Torture whereas
the former has adopted the spiritual
connotations and used them in such a way that
suggests that maybe we do still have some
control over ourselves; we are not total
fatalities of the digital mafia.
Once again bearing similarity to Bruce
Nauman, this series is non-narrative. There is
no progression, or evidence, of a story line,
thus opening the work to inference and
deduction. It would seem that this is for the
best, however. In what way could successfully
detail the Buddhas relationship with the 20th
Century other than this? An intensive plot
would most likely over complicate the matter
and alienate it from what it shows usThe
interaction of two holy bodies, separated by
hundreds of years; could the characters gazing
just be him evaluating what has been placed
afore him?
His curious juxtapositions of a religious
figurehead and a technological device has
been endlessly explored, with Roberta Smith
commenting that he was simply the most Pop
of the Pop artists. His work borrowed directly
from the culture at large, reworked its most
pervasive medium and gave back something
that was both familiar and otherworldly24. This
directly clarifies the purpose of TV Buddha-to
approach the potential for the ancient
transcendent and otherworldly to co-exist with
the modern developments which may (at first)
appear to contradict their age-old beliefs.

23

http://www.haberarts.com/paik.htm
http://vmfa.museum/mlit/buddha-watching-tvpaik-the-father-of-video-art/
24

He is considered to have challenged and

changed our understanding of visual culture25,
to have pushed boundaries so close, so tight,
that they were suffocating. He took ordinary,
and even mundane, items and transformed
them into singular units which force us to
contemplate on the most fundamental of
topics, i.e. what is the meaning to this? Why is
Buddha watching himself so? He was to the
Pop-Artists what Stanley Kubrick was to
Cinema-a genre bending, convention quashing
genius who could inject wonder and awe into
the viewer. Like 2001: A Space Odyssey, new,
unforeseen ideas were being presented to the
unprepared masses, both changing the
landscape for their respective mediums.
But how could these works inspire the amateur
installation artist? From Viola we can replicate
the humanity and naturalism of emotions;
products should be presented as they are, so
to speak, without unnecessary and overdone
decoration to take away from the core
simplicity. Likewise, projectors should not be
overlooked. They have the potential to
recreate the appearance of nostalgic home
videos, or incite sheer terror. Items which will
create the exhibition should be observed and
ordered in such a way that a deeper meaning
is gained. Size should be taken into
consideration; will this be large to show its
importance, like Nantes Triptych or smaller so
that only a handful of people can view at a
timeShould it be its intimacy that makes it
inviting, the appearance that only you are
experiencing what is on screen?
In terms of Nauman, however, we see the need
to evoke emotion and cause the viewer to
question what they are witnessing. Essentially,
we need to leave a significant amount to the
imagination, in terms of a context (let the
viewer think, and decide for themselves),
whilst also utilising space and sound; a number
of screens could be used, spread out so the
25

https://www.arts.gov/photos/nam-june-paikartist-who-invented-video-art

viewer has to travel to each segment, maybe,

with each device rotated or in an unusual
position. Regarding the noise, volume and
output should be thought upon. Could it be
more unsettling, or simply impactful, to isolate
the sound and use headphones to hear every
element, or is it just more interesting for
everything to play at once?
As for Paik, the emptiness of the room could be
utilised; have a simple television show the
same footage on an endless loop, with eerie
mannequins watching. When surrounded by
nothing, a sense of unease could be created as
we must confront the thought that all that is
left could be us, the strange figurines and a
tormenting, continual film. Additionally,
lighting should be investigated. A soft spotlight
targeted on the peculiar crowd could forge an
unsettling atmosphere, attractive to us based
on how strange it is.
Combine these elements, and you could have
a series of small screens across a darkened
room. A spotlight shines on a group of
mannequins (each positioned differently)
watching the television. They have
headphones on, and an additional pair extends
from the electronical set for us to use and hear
the accompanying sound to the footage. At the
back of this area, a larger gaggle of the
figurines stands, watching the magnum-opus
of the series, there is no sound, but only a
mesmerising, haunting film.