At first glance, there may appear to be more to separate Michelangelo (1475-1564) and Bill Viola (b. 1951) than to unite them: one, the great master of the Italian Renaissance; the other, the creator of state-of-the-art immersive sound and video installations. And yet, when Martin Clayton showed Viola Her Majesty The Queen's unsurpassed collection of Michelangelo drawings at Windsor in 2006, parallels began to emerge. This book presents a new perspective on both artists' works. Stills and sequences from ten key video pieces by Viola are reproduced alongside fourteen of Michelangelo's presentation drawings, as well as the Taddei Tondo, the only Michelangelo marble sculpture in the UK and a treasure of the Royal Academy's collection. Texts by Martin Clayton examine how existential concerns - the preoccupation of many Renaissance artists, not least Michelangelo - are explored in Viola's often profoundly moving video installations, while Kira Perov provides insight into Viola's working processes.

About the Author
Martin Clayton is Head of Prints and Drawings at Royal Collection Trust. Kira Perov is Bill Viola's partner and executive director of Bill Viola Studio. She manages, creatively guides and assists with the production of all his videotapes and installations, and curates exhibitions of his works worldwide.


Book Information
ISBN 9781910350997
Author Martin Clayton
Format Hardback
Page Count 160
Imprint Royal Academy of Arts
Publisher Royal Academy of Arts