Bill Viola: Ascension
In Ascension, the video starts off with a black screen then a person plunges into the water. The person has their arms extended outward. The video seems real time while jumping in, but feels slower while the person is sinking downward and rising back up. The light in this video highlights the person and the area they are floating up to. This video seems to be about spirituality, because the person jumps into the water with their arms out, which looks like a crucifix. The focus is on the person because that is where that light is, the person then floats up into the light. Floating up into light is commonly used to represent someone going into heaven. This video seems to focus on life and death. The slowness in the video allows the viewer to appreciate the visually pleasing effect of the person plunging into the water. Ascension also uses sound, the use of sound and the underwater viewpoint made it feel like I was there watching from underwater. The sound used in the video was soothing and reminded me of ASMR. This video makes the viewer stop and appreciate the sounds and visuals. This video could also be trying to communicate to slow down and appreciate the beauty in the sights and sounds around you .
Adrian's Humanities Blog 