Film

Four Hands

2001 · 23m

The hands of three generations are seen in this work – a young boy, father, mother and grandmother. Slowly and deliberately, the four pairs of hands are shown forming a series of predetermined movements. These are taken from sources as diverse as Buddhist mudras (defined ritual or symbolic gestures) and 17th-century English chirologia tables, which illustrate hand gestures that accompany emotional states. Viola explains that the work is “a timeline that encompasses both the parallel actions of the individuals in the present moment and the larger movements of the stages of human life.” It is part of a series called 'The Passions', which is inspired by early European devotional paintings and explores human emotions.

• Bill ViolaDirector

Release date

July 11, 2001

Status

Released

Original language

English

Runtime

23m