Questioning Things
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A Strategistâs Guide to Art is 2! đ„ł đ
To mark the occasion I thought Iâd share one of my most popular articles from the past couple of years. In it I explore what art can teach us about asking useful questions.
Thanks for all your support so far. I hope you enjoy.
Iâve long been a fan of the artist Grayson Perry.
In my opinion he speaks a lot of sense, and has a great ability to make art seem more accessible. But Iâve gained even more of an appreciation recently. Mainly because I finally got round to reading his book â âPlaying to the Galleryâ.
In it he debunks a lot of myths about the art world, what counts as art, and ways to view it.
He also talks about the role of the contemporary artist.
And in doing so thereâs one thing which really stuck in my mind.
He said;
âmy job is to notice things that other people donât noticeâ1
It likely struck a chord, because ânoticing thingsâ is an inherent character trait of strategists. So, it kind of goes with the territory.
But itâs also because it highlighted one of the big reasons why Iâm drawn to certain artworks over others. And thatâs because of the artistâs ability to successfully notice, reframe and reflect the cultural psyche in a way thatâs easy to understand and relate to. And, at best, completely change the way that you see something.
So while noticing things is one thing, a large part of how impactful a piece of work is is in how well it effectively communicates these otherwise âunnoticedâ things. How much it challenges, questions and reframes existing ideas. And importantly how much it resonates.
This is as true of art, as it is of any kind of visual communications.
But noticing, and communicating the most useful or relevant insight, idea or information is easier said than done.
So this got me thinking.
How do artists notice things? And what, if anything, can we can learn from that?
Noticing starts by asking interesting questions.
And art is a great lesson in how to ask.
As Ai Weiwei said:
âI always think art is a tool to set up new questions.
To create a basic structure which can be open to possibilities is the most interesting part of my workâŠâ2
The ability to ask questions is one of the great powers of art. Both in terms of output (the idea or assumption the artist is questioning with their work) but also in terms of input (what kinds of questions they ask in the first place, and what possibilities it opens up).
Asking a good question can make the difference between a great work and a flop. A mediocre piece, and a piece which stops you in your tracks. A piece which invites new conversation, and lays the path for things to come.
The ability to ask questions is also a key part of a strategistâs toolbox â from questioning the brief (âwhat problem are we trying to solve?â) to interviewing stakeholders and audiences to questioning the usefulness of an insight or idea.
So, I started to look at how art asks questions, to see how that could help me in my day-to-day role.
And in doing so I found three distinct themes that consistently crop up:
Question what you see
Question how you see
Question what isnât being seen
Three powerful questions to ask when approaching any new challenge or client brief.
Letâs unpack that a bit further.
In order to ânoticeâ the interesting things, the âthings that other people donât noticeâ, itâs important to look beyond the obvious. To forget what you know, and look at things through a fresh lens.
To question what you see.
Artists are masters of this. They constantly challenge themselves and their audience to forget their assumptions. Deliberately playing with perceptions of reality, to reframe the way that something is seen.
The work of conceptual artist Joseph Kosuth is a prime example of this.
He often commented on the gap between language, image and meaning in his work. âOne and Three Chairsâ, for example, simultaneously showcases a physical chair, a photograph of a chair and a written definition of a chair.
On the surface all three chairs represent the same idea (the chair), yet are not the same at all.
Itâs a great lesson in not taking things at face value. And by stating the âobviousâ he creates the kind of moment realisation that leaves a lasting impression.
When it comes to strategy, stopping to question what you see is key.
Asking for example â What is the real question in the clients brief? Whatâs the real problem weâre trying to solve? and is what people say really what they mean?
But itâs equally useful to question how you see.
As Kosuthâs work shows â itâs important to be aware of our own filtering process (i.e. how we instinctively see things). But itâs also important to be aware of the filtering process which is happening all around us.
So while Kosuth draws attention to the nuances of interpretation and assumption, he equally questions how something is represented impacts how it is seen.
In part, this comes down to context.
In art, as in marketing, context is critical.
As I wrote about before, the format, time and surroundings through which an idea is delivered can completely shift its meaning, impact and relevance. So itâs pretty useful to consider when thinking about how to communicate the story that needs to be told.
Christian Marclayâs mesmerising and award winning video piece âThe Clockâ highlighted this well.
In it he stitched together thousands of video clips of clocks, from film and TV history, and played them out in real-time over 24 hours.
Taking the clips in isolation, he makes tiny âunnoticedâ moments the centrepiece. And by editing out complexity completely shifts the narrative. Making you consider the films, and the concept of time in a whole new way.
As Paul Klee said â âArt does not reproduce the visible; rather, it makes visibleâ.
And Marclayâs piece does a brilliant job of doing just that.
So, finally, and importantly, as Klee reminds us -Â question what isnât being seen.
One of the great roles of art is to unlock, comment on and shape culture.
A lot of the time this involves, not just questioning what is in plain sight, but what is hidden from view.
The Guerrilla Girls offer just one example of this.
Describing themselves as âthe conscience of the art worldâ they are a group of anonymous feminist activist artists that âwear gorilla masks in public and use facts, humor and outrageous visuals to expose gender and ethnic bias as well as corruption in politics, art, film and pop cultureâ. As they say, â⊠we undermine the idea of a mainstream narrative by revealing the understory, the subtext, the overlooked, and the downright unfairâ3.
As highlighted in this great interview4, questioning what isnât seen, or noticed, is the core theme of their work. But itâs also one which has the power to create real cultural change. Seeping into mainstream culture, since 1985 they have tirelessly campaigned for change. Inspiring countless activist-artists and fans as they go.
Questioning what isnât being seen, or said, and making it visible is at the heart of any truly insightful piece of work.
But when it comes down to it a lot of the most powerful work has an authenticity to it thatâs truly relatable, meaningful, and memorable.
It comes from expressing a central belief that is true to who the artist is. And creating a genuine connection with the person whoâs viewing it.
And when they ask the right questions they have the power to capture attention, shift perceptions, and, ultimately drive behavioural change.
When it comes to working out the most useful way forward for brands, thereâs something that can be learnt from that.
Question what you see, Question how you see it, but importantly, Question what isnât being seen.
Often thatâs where the most important messages lie.
Until next time đ,
Harriet
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Source: Playing to the Gallery | Grayson Perry
Source: https://www.guerrillagirls.com/our-story