WORDS ABOUT AN ARTIST’S LESS THAN PASSIONATE RELATIONSHIP WITH HIS MOTHER

                Last week we were shown a short film (well, a short excerpt, anyway) titled ‘The Passing’ by a certain Bill Viola. By and large, the film was mostly harmless enough, bar three sections in particular.

                The first scene that stirred controversy was the birth scene, which reminded me of awkward biology lessons no-end. While not socially unacceptable, it’s not something I would watch voluntarily, particularly in a gallery environment, where my stomach already has to contend with wine and countless hors d’oeuvres.

                The second of the debate-fuelling sections depicted a man drowning, a rather melancholic metaphor of life. Thankfully, this scene used an actor, and not actual footage of a man drowning. It was quite eerie and unsettling to watch, so I guess it fulfilled Bill’s intention. Although, I must say, artists tend to have such a pessimistic take on life. In my eyes, a man who thinks that life is a constant, painful struggle is a man who hasn’t tried spaghetti hoops.

                Now, here we are; the main offender! Unlike the other two, where the actual content of the video was disturbing, it is the context of this section that caused jaws to drop. At a glance, it appears to show a lady, perhaps a mother, dying. Most people would go ahead and assume that the artist used an actor, as in the drowning scene; however, this is not the case. Viola filmed his mother’s death. As you’ve likely noticed, I have provided my own interpretation of what went down:

                I jest, I jest. While I do appreciate the artistic integrity of the piece, I just can’t set aside the seemingly sociopathic act of Mr. Viola. If I were in his shoes, incorporating my mother’s death into a short film would be the last thing on my mind, jus’ sayin’.

                This paragraph has no significance; the justification for its inclusion is based purely on grounds of providing “filler”. Filler, despite being frowned upon, is a vital part of our society; sausages, for example, are composed almost exclusively from filler, with actual meat providing a very small percentage of the ingredients. Another, equally essential, form of filler is poly-filler, without which our windows would literally be caked in condensation. Now, I must go, all this talk of cake is making me hungry.