Take a look at this work of art. What is it that you see? At first glance, it looks to be a grandfather clock with a sheet thrown over it and a rope tied around the center. But a first look always warrants a second. Look again. What do you see now? If you look more closely, you'll realize that this entire work of art is made from one piece of sculpture. There is no clock, there is no rope, and there is no sheet. It is one piece of bleached Honduras mahogany.
Tazama usanifu huu. Ni kipi ambacho unaona? Kwa mtazamo wa kwanza, inaonekana kuwa ni saa ya babu ikiwa na karatasi lililotupiwa juu na kamba iliyozunguka katikati. Ila mtazamo wa kwanza mara zote huruhusu wa pili. Angalia tena. Unaona nini sasa? Ukiangalia kwa karibu zaidi, utatambua kwamba usanifu huu mzima umetengenezwa na kipande kimoja cha sanamu. Hakuna saa. Hakuna kamba, na hakuna karatasi. Ni kipande kimoja cha mkangazi wa Honduras uliong'arishwa.
Now let me be clear: this exercise was not about looking at sculpture. It's about looking and understanding that looking closely can save a life, change your company and even help you understand why your children behave the way they do. It's a skill that I call visual intelligence, and I use works of art to teach everybody, from everyday people to those for whom looking is the job, like Navy SEALs and homicide detectives and trauma nurses.
Sasa ngoja nieleze kwa ufasaha: zoezi hili halikuwa kuhusu kuangalia sanamu. Ni kuhusu kutazama na kuelewa kwamba kuangalia kwa ukaribu huokoa maisha, kubadili kampuni yako na hata kuelewa kwanini watoto wako wanafanya tabia fulani. Ni ujuzi ambao nauita maarifa ya uono, na natumia kazi za sanaa kufundisha kila mtu, kutoka watu wa kila siku hadi wale ambao kutazama ni ajira kwao, kama wanamaji wa SEAL na wapelelezi wa mauaji na wauguzi wa majeraha.
The fact is that no matter how skilled you might be at looking, you still have so much to learn about seeing. Because we all think we get it in a first glance and a sudden flash, but the real skill is in understanding how to look slowly and how to look more carefully. The talent is in remembering -- in the crush of the daily urgencies that demand our attention -- to step back and look through those lenses to help us see what we've been missing all along.
Ukweli ni kwamba haijalishi ni ujuzi gani ulionao katika kutazama, bado una mambo mengi ya kujifunza kuhusu kuona. Kwa sababu huwa tunadhani tunaelewa katika mtazamo wa kwanza na ule wa kushtukiza, lakini ujuzi halisi ni katika kuelewa namna ya kuangalia taratibu na kuangalia kwa umakini zaidi. Kipaji ni katika kukumbuka -- katika mambo tukutananayo kila siku yanayohitaji umakini wetu -- kurudi nyuma na kuangalia kupitia lenzi kutusaidia kuona ni yapi tuliyoyakosa muda wote.
So how can looking at painting and sculpture help? Because art is a powerful tool. It's a powerful tool that engages both sight and insight and reframes our understanding of where we are and what we see.
Sasa namna gani kuangalia mchoro na sanamu husaidia? Kwa sababu sanaa ni nyenzo yenye nguvu. Ni nyenzo yenye nguvu ambayo inahusisha uoni na maarifa na kutengeneza uelewa wetu wa wapi tulipo na kipi tunachoona.
Here's an example of a work of art that reminded me that visual intelligence -- it's an ongoing learning process and one that really is never mastered. I came across this quiet, seemingly abstract painting, and I had to step up to it twice, even three times, to understand why it resonated so deeply. Now, I've seen the Washington Monument in person thousands of times, well aware of the change in the color of marble a third of the way up, but I had never really looked at it out of context or truly as a work of art. And here, Georgia O'Keeffe's painting of this architectural icon made me realize that if we put our mind to it, it's possible to see everyday things in a wholly new and eye-opening perspective.
Huu ni mfano wa kazi ya sanaa ambao umenikumbusha kwamba maarifa ya uono -- ni mchakato endelevu na ambao hauwezi fikiwa tamati kamwe. Nilikutana na hii sanaa ya kufikirika ambayo ni tulivu, na ilibidi nisogee kwa ukaribu mara mbili, hata mara tatu, kuelewa kwanini inavuma kwa undani sana. Sasa, binafsi nimeona mnara wa Washington mara elfu moja, ninatambua vizuri badiliko la rangi ya marumaru kwa theluthi kwenda juu, lakini sijawahi angalia katika nje ya muktadha katika uhalisia wa kazi ya sanaa. Na hapa, mchoro wa Georgia O'Keefe's wa huu usanifu maarufu umenifanya kutambua kwamba kama tukiweka akili zetu hapo, inawezekana kuona vitu vya kila siku katika muonekano mpya unaofungua macho.
Now, there are some skeptics that believe that art just belongs in an art museum. They believe that it has no practical use beyond its aesthetic value. I know who they are in every audience I teach. Their arms are crossed, their legs are crossed, their body language is saying, "What am I going to learn from this lady who talks fast about painting and sculpture?" So how do I make it relevant for them? I ask them to look at this work of art, like this portrait by Kumi Yamashita. And I ask them to step in close, and even closer still, and while they're looking at the work of art, they need to be asking questions about what they see. And if they ask the right questions, like, "What is this work of art? Is it a painting? Is it a sculpture? What is it made of?" ... they will find out that this entire work of art is made of a wooden board, 10,000 nails and one unbroken piece of sewing thread.
Sasa, kuna wabishi wanaoamini kua sanaa inatakiwa kuwepo tu katika jumba la sanaa. Wanaamini kwamba haina matumizi halisia zaidi ya thamani ya urembo wake. Najua ni kina nani katika kila umati ambao nafundisha. Mikono yao wamekunja, miguu yao wamekunja, lugha ya miili yao inasema, "Nitajifunza nini kwa huyu mwanamke anayeongea haraka kuhusu michoro na sanaa?" Hivyo nafanyaje ili kufanya iendane nao? Nawaambia kuangalia hii sanaa, kama hii picha na Kumi Yamashita. Nawauliza kusogea karibu, na karibu zaidi, na wakati wakiangalia kazi ya sanaa, wanahitaji kuuliza maswali kuhusu wanachoona. Na kama watauliza swali sahihi, kama, "Hii ni kazi gani ya sanaa? Ni mchoro? Ni sanamu? Imetengenezwa na nini?" ... watatambua kwamba hii kazi nzima ya sanaa imetengenezwa na ubao wa mbao, misumari 10,000 na kipande kizima cha kamba ya kushonea.
Now that might be interesting to some of you, but what does it have to do with the work that these people do? And the answer is everything. Because we all interact with people multiple times on a daily basis, and we need to get better at asking questions about what it is that we see.
Sasa hii inaweza vutia baadhi yenu, lakini inahusiana nini na kazi wanayofanya watu hawa? na jibu ni kila kitu. Kwamba tunakutana na watu mara kadhaa katika maisha ya kila siku, na tunahitaji kuwa bora katika kuuliza maswali kuhusu ni kitu gani tunachoona.
Learning to frame the question in such a way as to elicit the information that we need to do our jobs, is a critical life skill. Like the radiologist who told me that looking at the negative spaces in a painting helped her discern more discreet abnormalities in an MRI. Or the police officer who said that understanding the emotional dynamic between people in a painting helped him to read body language at a domestic violence crime scene, and it enabled him to think twice before drawing and firing his weapon. And even parents can look to see absences of color in paintings to understand that what their children say to them is as important as what they don't say.
Kujifunza kutengeneza swali katika namna hiyo katika kusisimua taarifa tunazohitaji kufanya kazi zetu, ni ujuzi wa maisha ambao muhimu sana. Kama mtaalamu wa mionzi ambaye aliniambia kwamba kuangalia nafasi hasi katika mchoro kulimsaidia kutambua hali zisizo za kawaida katika MRI. Au afisa polisi aliyesema kwamba kuelewa mabadiliko ya hisia kati ya watu katika mchoro kulimsaidia kutambua lugha ya mwili katika palipotendeka unyanyasaji wa nyumbani, na ilimsaidia kuwaza mara mbili kabla ya kutoa na kufyatua bunduki yake. Na hata wazazi wanaweza angalia kuona utupu wa rangi katika mchoro kuelewa kwamba kile watoto wanachowaambia ni muhimu kama kile wasichosema.
So how do I -- how do I train to be more visually intelligent? It comes down to four As. Every new situation, every new problem -- we practice four As. First, we assess our situation. We ask, "What do we have in front of us?" Then, we analyze it. We say, "What's important? What do I need? What don't I need?" Then, we articulate it in a conversation, in a memo, in a text, in an email. And then, we act: we make a decision. We all do this multiple times a day, but we don't realize what a role seeing and looking plays in all of those actions, and how visual intelligence can really improve everything.
Kwa hiyo namna gani -- Najifunzaje kuwa na maarifa ya uono? Inaelezewa na kama nne. Kila hali mpya, kila tatizo jipya -- huwa tunafanyia kazi kama nne. Kwanza, tunatathmini hali yetu. Tunauliza, " Ni kipi tulichonacho mbele yetu?" Kisha, tunakichambua. Tunasema, "Kipi ni muhimu? Nahitaji nini? Kipi sihitaji?" Kisha, tunakiunda katika maongezi, katika kumbukumbu, maandishi, barua pepe. Na kisha, tunatenda: tunafanya maamuzi. Wote tunafanya hili mara kadhaa kwa siku, lakini hatutambui jukumu la kutazama na kuona linavyofanya kazi katika matendo yote, na namna gani maarifa ya uono yanavyoweza kuboresha kila kitu.
So recently, I had a group of counterterrorism officials at a museum in front of this painting. El Greco's painting, "The Purification of the Temple," in which Christ, in the center, in a sweeping and violent gesture, is expelling the sinners from the temple of prayer. The group of counterterrorism officials had five minutes with that painting, and in that short amount of time, they had to assess the situation, analyze the details, articulate what, if anything, they would do if they were in that painting. As you can imagine, observations and insights differed. Who would they talk to? Who would be the best witness? Who was a good potential witness? Who was lurking? Who had the most information? But my favorite comment came from a seasoned cop who looked at the central figure and said, "You see that guy in the pink?" -- referring to Christ -- he said, "I'd collar him, he's causing all the trouble."
Karibuni, nilipata kundi la wataalamu wa kupinga ugaidi katika makumbusho mbele ya huu mchoro. mchoro wa El Greco, "Utakasaji wa Hekalu," ambapo Kristo, katikati, katika ishara ya kupangusa na yenye vurugu, anawafukuza watenda dhambi kutoka katika hekalu la maombi. Kundi la wapambana na ugaidi walikuwa na dakika tano katika mchoro ule, na katika muda huo mfupi, walitakiwa kuichambua hali ile kutambua taarifa, kuchanganua kwamba, kama chochote wangefanya kama wangekuwepo katika mchoro ule. Unavyoweza kuwaza, mtazamo na ufahamu ulitofautiana. Nani wangeongea nae? Nani angekuwa shuhuda mzuri? Nani ni shahidi mzuri wa muhimu? Nani alikuwa anavizia? Nani alikuwa na taarifa zaidi? Lakini moja ya maoni nililopenda lilitoka kwa polisi wa msimu aliyeangalia mtu wa katikati na kusema, "Unaona jamaa mwenye pinki?" -- akimaanisha Kristo -- alisema, "Ningemkaba, ndie anayesababisha vurugu yote."
(Laughter)
(Kicheko)
So looking at art gives us a perfect vehicle to rethink how we solve problems without the aid of technology. Looking at the work of Felix Gonzalez-Torres, you see two clocks in perfect synchronicity. The hour, minute and second hand perfectly aligned. They are installed side by side and they're touching, and they are entitled "'Untitled' (Perfect Lovers)." But closer analysis makes you realize that these are two battery-operated clocks, which in turn makes you understand -- "Hey, wait a minute ... One of those batteries is going to stop before the other. One of those clocks is going to slow down and die before the other and it's going to alter the symmetry of the artwork." Just articulating that thought process includes the necessity of a contingency plan. You need to have contingencies for the unforeseen, the unexpected and the unknown, whenever and however they may happen.
Hivyo kuangalia sanaa kunatupa nyenzo bora ya kuwaza tena jinsi tunatatua matatizo bila msaada wa teknolojia. Ukiangalia kazi ya Felix Gonzalez-Torres, unaona saa mbili zinazoenda sambamba kabisa. Saa, dakika na mshale wa sekunde vinafanana sawa sawa. Vimewekwa upande kwa upande na zinagusana, na zimepewa jina "'Isiyo na jina'(Wapenzi Kamilifu)." Lakini mtazamo wa karibu unafanya utambue kwamba hizi ni saa mbili zitumiazo betri, ambapo inakufanya kuelewa -- "Hebu, subiri kidogo ... Moja ya betri itasimama kabla ya nyenzake. Moja ya hizi saa itakuja kupunguza mwendo na kufa kabla ya nyingine na itaenda kuongeza usawa wa kazi hii ya sanaa." Vile tu unavyoliwaza hilo jambo hujumuisha uhitaji wa mpango wa dharura. Unahitaji kuwa na dharura kwa yale yasiyoonekana, yasiyotegemewa na yasiyojulikana, muda yanapotokea na namna yanavyotokea.
Now, using art to increase our visual intelligence involves planning for contingencies, understanding the big picture and the small details and noticing what's not there. So in this painting by Magritte, noticing that there are no tracks under the train, there is no fire in the fireplace and there are no candles in the candlesticks actually more accurately describes the painting than if you were to say, "Well, there's a train coming out of a fireplace, and there are candlesticks on the mantle."
Sasa, kwa kutumia sanaa kuongeza maarifa ya uono hujumuisha kupanga kwa dharura, kuelewa picha kubwa na taarifa ndogo na kugundua kipi kinachokosekana. Hivyo mchoro huu uliochorwa na Magritte, kugundua kwamba hakuna reli chini ya treni, hakuna moto katika sehemu ya moto na hakuna mishumaa ndani ya vinara kiuhalisia inaelezea mchoro zaidi ya ungesema, "Sasa, kuna treni inayotokea sehemu palipo na moto, na kuna vinara katika pazia
It may sound counterintuitive to say what isn't there, but it's really a very valuable tool. When a detective who had learned about visual intelligence in North Carolina was called to the crime scene, it was a boating fatality, and the eyewitness told this detective that the boat had flipped over and the occupant had drowned underneath. Now, instinctively, crime scene investigators look for what is apparent, but this detective did something different. He looked for what wasn't there, which is harder to do. And he raised the question: if the boat had really tipped flipped over -- as the eyewitness said that it did -- how come the papers that were kept at one end of the boat were completely dry? Based on that one small but critical observation, the investigation shifted from accidental death to homicide.
Itaonekana kisicho cha kawaida kusema kisichokuwepo, lakini ni nyenzo yenye thamani. Pale mpelezi aliyejifunza kuhusu uono wa maarifa huko Carolina Kaskazini aliitwa katika eneo la tukio, ilikuwa mashua yenye majeruhi, na shuhuda alimwambia huyu mpelelezi kwamba mashua ilipinduka na aliyekuwepo alizama chini. Sasa, kwa haraka, wapelelezi wa uhalifu huangalia kile kinachoonekana, lakini mpelelezi huyu alifanya kitu tofauti. Aliangalia ambacho hakipo, ambapo ni ngumu kufanya. Na aliuliza swali: kama kweli mashua ilipinduka -- kama mashuhuda wanavyosema -- inakuwaje makaratasi yaliyowekwa mwisho mmoja wa mashua yapo makavu kabisa? Kulingana na mtazamo huo mdogo lakini muhimu, upelelezi ulihama kutoka katika kifo mpaka mauaji.
Now, equally important to saying what isn't there is the ability to find visual connections where they may not be apparent. Like Marie Watt's totem pole of blankets. It illustrates that finding hidden connections in everyday objects can resonate so deeply. The artist collected blankets from all different people in her community, and she had the owners of the blankets write, on a tag, the significance of the blanket to the family. Some of the blankets had been used for baby blankets, some of them had been used as picnic blankets, some of them had been used for the dog. We all have blankets in our homes and understand the significance that they play. But similarly, I instruct new doctors: when they walk into a patient's room, before they pick up that medical chart, just look around the room. Are there balloons or cards, or that special blanket on the bed? That tells the doctor there's a connection to the outside world. If that patient has someone in the outside world to assist them and help them, the doctor can implement the best care with that connection in mind. In medicine, people are connected as humans before they're identified as doctor and patient.
Sasa, muhimu kusema kipi kisichokuwepo pale ni uwezo wa kutafuta muunganiko wa uono ambapo vitu havionekani. Kama tambiko la Marie Watt la nguzo ya matandiko. Inaelezea kwamba kutafuta muunganiko uliojificha katika vitu vya kila siku unaweza sisimua kiundani sana. Msanii alikusanya matandiko kutoka kwa watu mbalimbali katika jamii yake, na aliwaambia wamiliki wa matandiko hayo kuandika, katika nembo, umuhimu wa kitandiko hicho kwa familia. Baadhi ya matandiko yametumika kwa ajili ya watoto, baadhi yametumika kama matandiko ya mandari, baadhi yalikuwa yakitumika kwa ajili ya mbwa. Wote tuna matandiko majumbani mwetu na tunaelewa umuhimu yaliyonao. Lakini kwa usawa, nawaelekeza matabibu wapya: wanapokwenda katika chumba cha mgonjwa, kabla ya kuchukua chati ya mgonjwa, jaribu kutazama katika kile chumba. Kuna mapulizo au kadi, au kile kitandiko mahususi katika kitanda? Hiyo inamueleza daktari kuna uhusiano na dunia ya nje. Kama mgonjwa huyo ana mtu katika dunia ya nje wa kuwaongoza na kuwasaidia, daktari anaweza pendekeza matunzo bora akiwa na uelewa na yale mahusiano akilini. Katika utabibu, watu wanaunganika kama wanadamu kabla hawajatambulika kama daktari na mgonjwa.
But this method of enhancing perception -- it need not be disruptive, and it doesn't necessitate an overhaul in looking. Like Jorge Méndez Blake's sculpture of building a brick wall above Kafka's book "El Castillo" shows that more astute observation can be subtle and yet invaluable. You can discern the book, and you can see how it disrupted the symmetry of the bricks directly above it, but by the time you get to the end of the sculpture, you can no longer see the book. But looking at the work of art in its entirety, you see that the impact of the work's disruption on the bricks is nuanced and unmistakable. One thought, one idea, one innovation can alter an approach, change a process and even save lives.
Lakini njia hii ya kuongeza utambuzi -- haitakiwi kuwa haribifu, na haina mahitaji ya kukarabati namna ya kutazama. Kama sanamu ya Jorge Méndez ya kujenga ukuta wa matofali juu ya kitabu cha Kafka "El Castillo" inaonyesha utazamaji wa kistaarabu unaweza kuwa kiuerevu lakini ulio na thamani. Unaweza tambua kitabu, na unaweza kuona namna gani umeharibu msawazo wa matofali juu yake, lakini muda ambao unafika mwisho wa sanamu, huwezi kuona kitabu. Lakini kuangalia kazi ya sanaa katika ukamilifu wake, unaona kwamba matokeo ya uharibifu katika matofali ni wa dhahiri na usiokoswea. Wazo moja, jambo moja, ubunifu mmoja unaweza ongeza namna, kubadili mchakato na hata kuokoa maisha.
I've been teaching visual intelligence for over 15 years, and to my great amazement and astonishment -- to my never-ending astonishment and amazement, I have seen that looking at art with a critical eye can help to anchor us in our world of uncharted waters, whether you are a paramilitary trooper, a caregiver, a doctor or a mother. Because let's face it, things go wrong.
Nimekuwa nikifundisha maarifa ya uono kwa miaka zaidi ya 15, na kwa mshangao wangu mkubwa na ustaajabu -- kwa mshangao na ustaajabu usiokoma, Nimeona kwamba kuangalia kazi ya sanaa na jicho la ukaribu kunaweza kutusaidia katika dunia yetu ya maji yasiyopimwa, kama upo katika jeshi, mtoa msaada, tabibu au mama. Kwa sababu tukubali, mambo huenda mrama.
(Laughter)
(Kicheko)
Things go wrong. And don't misunderstand me, I'd eat that doughnut in a minute.
Mambo yanaenda vibaya. Na usinielewa vibaya, Nitakula hilo andazi kwa dakika.
(Laughter)
(Kicheko)
But we need to understand the consequences of what it is that we observe, and we need to convert observable details into actionable knowledge. Like Jennifer Odem's sculpture of tables standing sentinel on the banks of the Mississippi River in New Orleans, guarding against the threat of post-Katrina floodwaters and rising up against adversity, we too have the ability to act affirmatively and affect positive change.
Lakini tunahitaji kuelewa matokeo ya kipi ambacho tunatazama, na tunahitaji kubadili taarifa zionekanazo katika maarifa ya matendo. Kama sanamu ya Jennifer Odem ya meza ya mlinzi katika kingo ya mto wa Mississippi huko New Orleans, zikilinda hatari ya mafuriko ya maji baada ya kimbunga cha Katrina na kunyanyuka dhidi ya majanga, pia tuna uwezo wa kuhakikisha na kufanya yale yaliyo chanya.
I have been mining the world of art to help people across the professional spectrum to see the extraordinary in the everyday, to articulate what is absent and to be able to inspire creativity and innovation, no matter how small. And most importantly, to forge human connections where they may not be apparent, empowering us all to see our work and the world writ large with a new set of eyes.
Nimekuwa nikichimba katika dunia ya sanaa kuwasaidia watu katika utaalamu kuona visivyo vya kawaida kila siku, kutafuta kile ambacho hakipo na kuweza kuchochea ubunifu, bila kujali udogo. Na kilicho muhimu, kutengeneza muunganisho wa kibinadamu pale ambao haupo. kutupa uwezo wote kuona kazi zetu na dunia kwa ujumla katika namna mpya ya macho.
Thank you.
Asante.
(Applause)
(Makofi)