GBH Openvault
New Television Workshop; Reverse Television; Bill Viola's Reverse Television
Part of New Television Workshop.
Bill Viola's 30-second portraits were about portraiture and the idea of a person staring at the viewer (as the viewer stares at the TV screen). This short excerpt shows a man seated on his couch, the only sounds heard being the load ticking of a clock, and the man's breathing. Approximate date: 1982
License Clip
- Series
- New Television Workshop
- Program
- Reverse Television
- Title
Bill Viola's Reverse Television
- Series Description
The New Television Workshop originated at WGBH in 1974 to support the creation and development of experimental video art. This experimental programming included dance, drama, music, performance and visual arts on video and film. As early as 1968, WGBH was committed to the development of video art through residency programs, with artists such as Nam June Paik. Many of these early works (pre-1974) were broadcast both locally and nationally. Fred Barzyk, a WGBH producer and director, was the Workshop's Executive Director from 1974 to 1982. Susan Dowling was Executive Director from 1982 to 1993. In 1993 the Workshop ceased production at WGBH. Major broadcast series created by the Workshop included "Artist's Showcase," "Frames of Reference," "Dance for Camera," "Poetry Breaks," and "New Television." Individual works were created for "Visions," a series produced by WNET (New York), and "Alive From Off Center," a series produced by KTCA (St. Paul - Minneapolis). The Contemporary Art Television (CAT) Fund was co-founded by the Workshop and Boston's Institute for Contemporary Art (ICA) in the 1980's, to commission works by video artists. Series release date: 1974
- Program Description
“Reverse Television” was created in the mid-1980's by video artist Bill Viola. The 30-second portraits were about portraiture and the idea of a person staring at the viewer (as the viewer stares at the TV screen). Conceived of as a "micro-series," the work features 42 30-second portraits of television viewers in their living rooms. The portraits appear very formally composed, with attention paid to composition, lighting, and color. The viewers sit quietly, only occasionally making a slight shift in position. No external sound score has been added, so that the only sounds heard are sync sounds that have been heightened. These sounds include viewers’ clothing when they move, swallowing, and background noises, such as traffic outside the viewer's home or a dog barking in the distance.
- Asset Type
Clip
- Media Type
Video
- Subjects
- Parodies
- Viola, Bill, 1951-
- Video art
- Television viewers
- Portraits
- Experimental films
- Mini-series
- Topics
- Film and Television
- Creators
- Dowling, Susan (Series Producer)
- Publication Information
- WGBH Educational Foundation
- Citation
- Chicago: “New Television Workshop; Reverse Television; Bill Viola's Reverse Television,” GBH Archives, accessed April 25, 2024, http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_657905F1A6E54FE9B2047BA89B300824.
- MLA: “New Television Workshop; Reverse Television; Bill Viola's Reverse Television.” GBH Archives. Web. April 25, 2024. <http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_657905F1A6E54FE9B2047BA89B300824>.
- APA: New Television Workshop; Reverse Television; Bill Viola's Reverse Television. Boston, MA: GBH Archives. Retrieved from http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_657905F1A6E54FE9B2047BA89B300824