Day 9: Turner, Kentridge, Stage

Best November day in Stockholm and we walked for hours. Having a real Siri to play with was also far more fun than the apple software version.
The top observation of the day is that hanging Monet next to Turner is not fair to Monet. Turner just seemed to transcend the canvas in a way that Monet's impressionism can only aspire to. The combination of Twombly and Turner though was magical. Anyone in Stockholm before mid-January should go.
Tucked away in the back corner of the Moderna Museet though was a small video screen showing a discussion between Kentridge and Marlene Dumas. By sheer coincidence Marlene Dumas mentioned an exhibition where Monet laid open his process, to prove that the "simple" art is not easy. Keeping the freshness of the experience or impression captured in the painting is truly challenging as we fight our impulse to carve and slice at it, until we end up with mincemeat. When a master really does strike their flow, it looks easy.
Kentridge spoke quite a bit about his process too and the need for an artist to stay open to exploring surprises. In the works where he started off with a clear idea of what he wanted, he invariably ends up with predictable, boring art. The confidence you get from experience does not make it any easier to break away from these pre-conceived ideas. In fact, the ego and reputation you have to uphold makes it doubly hard. Creativity does not follow a plan. In his words: "you have to get over your own predictability, your own stupidity." And in a way closing yourself down from new influences that you cannot predict or expect is stupidity.

But that is exactly what companies do. In order to shore up the stock price you have to, above all else, deliver predictability. This assumes that you know exactly what the outcome of a project or new venture is going to be, before it happens.
Amazing how we mock this assertion in tarot card readers, but quite happily fund this exact same mythology in the always climbing 5 year revenue predictions of start-ups and division managers alike. There is so much focus on designing the right plan and strategy, yet what really counts is how well the team will respond to changes in the plan. When is the last time you saw an explicit reference to "what we'll do if it doesn't go this way." Where are the early warning systems and the sensitive ears and eyes of the business plan?
Susanne reminded me of how different your connection with your job is if you believe in what you are designing. When you really care about what you do, you take your intuition to work. The difference shows in how you respond to change.