With the introduction of Photography, numerous artists and scientists were charmed by the fact that this new medium could trap space and time in a still picture. Bob Wilson reverses this basic function, by making video portraits, where stillness is not a result, but an act; is not produced by the medium, instead is performed by the model and its environment.

“By incorporating a multitude of creative elements; lighting, costume, make up, choreography, gesture, text, voice, set design, and narrative – the video portraits act as a complete synthesis of all the media in the realm of Wilson’s art making.  The canvas or High Definition (HD) screen is one thing, blending the environmental and spatial aspects of a stage with a new sensibility for Wilson’s direction. The medium is HD video but the form blurs time-based cinematography with the frozen moment of still photography. As in the layering nature of Wilson’s creative process, the video portraits infuse references found in painting, sculpture, design, architecture, dance, theater, photography, television, film and contemporary culture.  The final result on the HD monitor resembles a photograph, but on closer inspection reveals Wilson’s highly developed theatrical language in conjunction with the startling clarity and precision of HD video. ”

source: http://www.robertwilson.com/video-portraits/