Abundance/spilling over
Before they produce content or evolve form, artists offer the presence of other ways of seeing things. It is an integral part of their practice to develop what Joseph Beuys calls ‘new organs of perception’. These alternatives of vision offer movement to a situation, and can stimulate growth and breakthrough i.e. innovation.
An encounter with an artist can have subtle and virtually untrackable consequences. It might provoke, stimulate or catalyse. It may be an isolated but essential moment in a personal or organisational process that occurs over a long period of time, perhaps years long. The encounter can affirm the creativity, individuality, worth and autonomy of a person, and regardless of whether that person’s role in an organisation is deemed to be ‘creative,’ the effect can enhance their efficacy, stimulate their confidence, and support personal and professional development.
The quantification of these spill-over effects is challenging. It might involve indicators that relate more to self-esteem, job satisfaction, or quality of life and experience. Trends in bio-economics have led the way in developing statistical indicators that allow a more holistic picture of an ecology to emerge. It might be more fruitful for corporations, institutions, and nations to develop a self-image, and a means of self-assessment, that understands their organisational selves as ‘ecologies.’ Given the right support structures to allow them to do so, artists are ideally placed to act as negotiators in this important yet delicate phase of innovation.
Read More: Jeffrey Gormly’s response