Ho Chi Minh born in 1860.Saturday, 19 May 2007
Friday, 18 May 2007
Listening
Listening not Hearing
I have been thinking a lot about COLLABORATION lately.
Since I have been involved in a project where that was the main axis to create work by, I have first as an observer and then as the documentarian witnessed this collaboration.
In a process with others I have noticed that communication is of course vital. Part of that is LISTENING, not hearing but listening. To make sure you understand something you can then paraphrase in order to clarify. Responding to an idea, thought or opinion before listening and understanding it fully, or as fully as possible, does make for communication jeopardy!
I have seen situations blow out of proportion just because there were meetings without key figures and not being able to hear all sides of a story, as people expressed themselves but not they did not listen..
Listening is an art. You have to let go of yourself and your own agenda while you listen so that you can take in the other fully. Then paraphrase if you need to and then take some time before response.
Strong emotions like anger are often misplaced and come from expectations, preconceived outcomes etc. Have an open mind and ear/eye to begin with and during the process as much as possible. Call meetings when communication needs to happen. Have a format that all can rely on and so can feel heard.
Collaboration can be the most fruitful extraordinary experience in the world! It can be fun and generate whole new works that could not have happened otherwise. Many art forms depend on collaboration like film. music, dance, and theatre. They are often the richer for it.
Still with collaboration you can get conflict. So there has to be a conflict resolution framework in place. Afterwards evaluation is a necessary learning tool and a skill to develop. Re-evaluation can then take place before another venture.
Begin by listening and learning to listen well.
That is a good first step to communication.
I have been thinking a lot about COLLABORATION lately.
Since I have been involved in a project where that was the main axis to create work by, I have first as an observer and then as the documentarian witnessed this collaboration.
In a process with others I have noticed that communication is of course vital. Part of that is LISTENING, not hearing but listening. To make sure you understand something you can then paraphrase in order to clarify. Responding to an idea, thought or opinion before listening and understanding it fully, or as fully as possible, does make for communication jeopardy!
I have seen situations blow out of proportion just because there were meetings without key figures and not being able to hear all sides of a story, as people expressed themselves but not they did not listen..
Listening is an art. You have to let go of yourself and your own agenda while you listen so that you can take in the other fully. Then paraphrase if you need to and then take some time before response.
Strong emotions like anger are often misplaced and come from expectations, preconceived outcomes etc. Have an open mind and ear/eye to begin with and during the process as much as possible. Call meetings when communication needs to happen. Have a format that all can rely on and so can feel heard.
Collaboration can be the most fruitful extraordinary experience in the world! It can be fun and generate whole new works that could not have happened otherwise. Many art forms depend on collaboration like film. music, dance, and theatre. They are often the richer for it.
Still with collaboration you can get conflict. So there has to be a conflict resolution framework in place. Afterwards evaluation is a necessary learning tool and a skill to develop. Re-evaluation can then take place before another venture.
Begin by listening and learning to listen well.
That is a good first step to communication.
Thursday, 17 May 2007
Elka Spoerri
Today it is 5 years since Elka Spoerri died in Bern, Switzerland.
She founded the Adolf Woelfli Foundation at the Kunstmuseum Bern and worked promoting his life's work for 25 years. She published several books with her own and others research on Woelfli.
To many she was synonymous with Adolf Woelfli and to us who knew her she was the embodiment of generosity, love, great friendship and loyalty. Her hospitality was legendary.
Dinners at her house were plentiful and she invited the most interesting and lovely people.
We miss her a great great deal. To have been loved by her and to have loved her was the biggest gift of this life.
She was like a mother to me and introduced me to many extraordinary experiences. She was kindness and a wonderful grandmother to my son.
She founded the Adolf Woelfli Foundation at the Kunstmuseum Bern and worked promoting his life's work for 25 years. She published several books with her own and others research on Woelfli.
To many she was synonymous with Adolf Woelfli and to us who knew her she was the embodiment of generosity, love, great friendship and loyalty. Her hospitality was legendary.
Dinners at her house were plentiful and she invited the most interesting and lovely people.
We miss her a great great deal. To have been loved by her and to have loved her was the biggest gift of this life.
She was like a mother to me and introduced me to many extraordinary experiences. She was kindness and a wonderful grandmother to my son.
Wednesday, 16 May 2007
Barbara Russell
Today is my dearest friend Barbara's birthday! She was my first friend when I moved to Cambridge, Mass. in the early eighties. We took this class at Harvard together with Prof Hugh Flick in Folklore and Mythology. Later we did lots of things together. I sat in on Prof Carol Gilligans class on Moral Development with Barbara when she was doing her Masters at the Education school. We had so many adventures together. She is a lovely person and full of joie de vivre.
I do not have a photo of her just now but I will post one when I do.
She is off on a trip to California with her family so I wish them a lovely time.
When I think of Barbara I think lilacs, magnolias, Swanboats and Singing beach!
I do not have a photo of her just now but I will post one when I do.
She is off on a trip to California with her family so I wish them a lovely time.
When I think of Barbara I think lilacs, magnolias, Swanboats and Singing beach!
Barbara played harp for the CD above and she is a beautiful harper!
Tuesday, 15 May 2007
Brian Eno
A Brian Eno sandwich for his birthday today. Mmmm yummy!He is a renaissance man in the 21st century, forever re-inventing himself and his media.
One of the most intelligent artists working at the moment-now, of course that is a hyperbole-but he and his work is very inspiring.
Monday, 14 May 2007
George and his friends
George Lucas born today in 1944 in Modesto, California. Who has not see Star Wars?
Sunday, 13 May 2007
VARC Project Update
"Collaboration is at its best a balancing act. Balance and flexibility, firm and lively. Yin and Yang. Like a cobweb or a grass in the wind. Certainly NOT a candle."
A week has passed up at Highgreen, the base of VARC (Visual Arts in Rural Communities). A very busy and intense week with typical Northumberland weather! Every day a symphony of different moods. Squalls, winds, bursts of warm sunshine, grey skies promising rain which never comes...In April we had May weather so now we have our April weather!
Loads of workshops run by Gavin Thorogood, Luke Daniels, James Wyness and Len Massey from the RCA in London. Drawing to music/sound, drawing based on nature, group drawing...
Playing new arrangements of traditional tunes from around here-Tarset. And listening to sound.
Going for sound walks. Listening. I filmed most of the events and got some interesting footage.
Fine Art students from Newcastle Uni came out with David Butler and stayed overnight camping on the soggy grounds. I hope they had a good time.
The highlight of the week was folk music night at our local pub the Hollybush in Greenaugh.
Morris men were dancing outside in the road through the hamlet and then all stormed into the pub which became alive with Northumbrian pipes, fiddles, accordions, concertina, penny flutes, flute, song, and a general bustle of people drinking talking laughing and enjoying themselves as well as two year old Iris who ran wild all night until she suddenly konked out in her mothers lap.
The fire was burning and I got some amazing footage from that night. Really caught the atmosphere! I am delighted. That is a really good part of the work for this week.
I saw friends and caught up a little even though I was in work mode. I am not much of a multi-tasker.
As for the collaboration I am not entirely certain how it is going. The three have not had much time to get to know eachothers work what with being tied up with commitments. But they have been getting on with their own work as it has been possible.
Collaboration is always a process that does not know its form for a while even up until "the end"!
A week has passed up at Highgreen, the base of VARC (Visual Arts in Rural Communities). A very busy and intense week with typical Northumberland weather! Every day a symphony of different moods. Squalls, winds, bursts of warm sunshine, grey skies promising rain which never comes...In April we had May weather so now we have our April weather!
Loads of workshops run by Gavin Thorogood, Luke Daniels, James Wyness and Len Massey from the RCA in London. Drawing to music/sound, drawing based on nature, group drawing...
Playing new arrangements of traditional tunes from around here-Tarset. And listening to sound.
Going for sound walks. Listening. I filmed most of the events and got some interesting footage.
Fine Art students from Newcastle Uni came out with David Butler and stayed overnight camping on the soggy grounds. I hope they had a good time.
The highlight of the week was folk music night at our local pub the Hollybush in Greenaugh.
Morris men were dancing outside in the road through the hamlet and then all stormed into the pub which became alive with Northumbrian pipes, fiddles, accordions, concertina, penny flutes, flute, song, and a general bustle of people drinking talking laughing and enjoying themselves as well as two year old Iris who ran wild all night until she suddenly konked out in her mothers lap.
The fire was burning and I got some amazing footage from that night. Really caught the atmosphere! I am delighted. That is a really good part of the work for this week.
I saw friends and caught up a little even though I was in work mode. I am not much of a multi-tasker.
As for the collaboration I am not entirely certain how it is going. The three have not had much time to get to know eachothers work what with being tied up with commitments. But they have been getting on with their own work as it has been possible.
Collaboration is always a process that does not know its form for a while even up until "the end"!
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