Working with visual artists at an Open Space

[Pat Black]

Dear Funda and All

I have been reading this thread with great interest and actually agree with
every thought offered in the discussion.  It is all true for me at least.
For me it is doesn't matter whether you operate in a visual or auditory
mode. The space can be closed or opened in any sensory mode.  Whatever mode
or combinations of modes used need to allow for emergence of whatever to
occur.  For the space to be open there needs to be detachment from the
outcome.  Process and people and ideas need to be left alone so that
something that was invisible emerges.  I agree with Josef that this is the
artistic or creative process but creativity is not limited to visual
expression.  Visual expression for me is the place where the creative
process is most challenging and rewarding and facilitates my breaking
through from the thinking process that leads me to same old same old
thinking.  There isn't a way to creative process.  There are a banquet of
choices for us to sample from.

The point for me is how to we make sure that there is a banquet of choices
and make sure that none of the choices are marginalized or trivialized.  The
challenge rests there for me.  I think Michael Herman had some interesting
insights in regards to this. Michael said,

NOW, all that said... IF the artist can step out of this sort of
default role of brilliant storyteller and documenter and work same as
the facilitator -- to invite everyone else to make up the story for
themselves, now that seems something entirely different to me.  the
artist as invitation, the artist who never sketches anything -- but
somehow finishes the day with a wall full of pictures by others... now
that is what i call artistic opening!
i'm not interested in bringing others in to do things that we think
participants can't do for themselves.  i want to invite participants
to do it *all* for themselves.  that, to me, is what open space is
for... discovering that we can do it for ourselves... that we have the
bullet points, the artful sketch, the passion, the responsiblity, the
vision and the action within each and all of us.

 If our goal is to provide a space where we can all emerge more fully and
more dimensionally than what Michael is saying is true, for me at least.
And in order to accomplish the realization of everyone's artist then we have
to provide the space and materials for that to happen. You can't speak in a
visual or musical language with out the tools of that language and fluent
speakers.  I think what Michael is getting at is that the most important
role artists, musicians and poets can play is not as note takers, although
some may want to serve as visual note takers.  There most powerful influence
is as guides for how to move down unknown paths and for most people in my
experience with a lot of baggage from unsuccessful experiences trying to
speak the language.  If I were to critique open space events for there
commitment to emergence in multiple modalities than I would be looking for
spaces and tools and materials for those languages to occur in.  I would
also be looking to invite participants who are fluent speakers in the
language who can help non-speakers become satisfied with their own
expression in the language.
Pat Black



On 8/22/06, Funda Oral <fundaoral at ttnet.net.tr> wrote:
>
>  Dear Josef and all,
>
> I have similar questions, suspicions and discussions that you raised. Yet,
> i also feel that we are in a process of combining all these :
> feelings, senses, creativity, service, work, business, make a living, joy,
> business and responsibility.
>
> Regards,
> Funda
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> *From:* joralt <joralt at netvision.net.il>
> *To:* OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
> *Sent:* Monday, August 21, 2006 12:24 PM
> *Subject:* Re: Working with visual artists at an Open Space
>
>  Hi Reinhard and all
>
>
>
> Your question describes very accurately my feelings of deep unease when it
> comes to how people of many "open space" institutes (such as Learning
> Organizations or Chaordic Alliance, for example) treat artists and their
> invaluable contributions all the while using the concept of artistic
> behavior to describe the new and innovative ways of doing business and how
> the new leadership in all walks of life should learn from jazz musicians,
> designers and architects. Yet, when you check how many artists are actually
> comprising the active leading teams of all those organizations all you will
> find is more of the same business and all old school management people who
> have suddenly realized how profitable is to sell their Ferrari after you
> moved your cheese out of the artists way. For most of those artists opening
> space is a daily and routine activity, done mostly with the deep visceral
> knowledge of how to balance content and form in the best possible way within
> a context of a given composition. And this is precisely because this
> knowledge is not based on mental conception there is such a deep distrust of
> any input coming from feelings and the senses, so I am not surprised a bit
> to hear that we are the addendum that one should be careful about as we
> might bring some true innovation and insights and tip the balance against
> the dominance of the ruling literary and word oriented elite.
>
>
>
> All the best
>
> Josef
>
>
>
> Josef Ralt
>
> mobile:972528000278
>
> home:97236821621
>
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/joeralt
>  ------------------------------
>
> *From:* OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] *On Behalf Of *Visuelle
> Protokolle
> *Sent:* Monday, August 21, 2006 8:34 AM
> *To:* OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
> *Subject:* AW: Working with visual artists at an Open Space
>
>
>
> Hi Chris, and all you others,
>
>
>
> I was hoping that your question would open a dialog I was seeking since
> years. Since years I am on this OS list, feeling that you and me are seeking
> for the same treasure in and on similar ways.
>
>
>
> But then I get Harrison's "One caution about visual artists and other such
> addendum" and ask me, and ask you: Are you, like me, an addendum to the
> process of self organizing people, helping them a bit as we can with our
> tools, or are you the high priests and I am the addendum?
>
>
>
>
>
> Mit freundlichen Grüßen
>
> best regards
>
>
>
> Reinhard
>
>
>
> VISUELLE PROTOKOLLE
>
> Kuchenmüller & Stifel
>
>
>
> tel +39-0566-88 929
>
> www.visuelle-protokolle.de
>
>
>
>
>  ------------------------------
>
> *Von:* OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] *Im Auftrag von *Chris
> Corrigan
> *Gesendet:* Mittwoch, 9. August 2006 18:51
> *An:* OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
> *Betreff:* Working with visual artists at an Open Space
>
> Hi mates:
>
> I have an opportunity coming up in the fall to work with a visual artist
> for an Open Space I am doing.  The clients wants us to work together and I'm
> excited by the possibility, but haven't ever done that before.
>
> So what kind of good stories do you have of working with visual artists
> (and visual art as a modality) in Open Space.
>
> Daniel?  Reinhardt?  Is Nancy Margulis around?  Others?
>
> Chris
>
> --
> CHRIS CORRIGAN
> Consultation - Facilitation
> Open Space Technology
>
> Weblog: http://www.chriscorrigan.com/parkinglot
> Site: http://www.chriscorrigan.com
> Open Space Resources:  http://tinyurl.com/r94tj * *
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