Amy Herman: A lesson on looking
Amy Herman: Somo katika kutazama
By showing people how to look closely at painting, sculpture and photography, Amy Herman helps them hone their visual intelligence to recognize the most pertinent and useful information as well as recognize biases that impede decision making. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
to be a grandfather clock
kuwa ni saa ya babu
wa pili.
that this entire work of art
sanamu.
Honduras mahogany.
Honduras uliong'arishwa.
about looking at sculpture.
kuangalia sanamu.
that looking closely can save a life,
ukaribu huokoa maisha,
why your children behave the way they do.
wako wanafanya tabia fulani.
visual intelligence,
mtu,
to those for whom looking is the job,
ambao kutazama ni ajira kwao,
detectives and trauma nurses.
mauaji na wauguzi wa majeraha.
you might be at looking,
gani ulionao katika kutazama,
to learn about seeing.
kuhusu kuona.
in a first glance and a sudden flash,
mtazamo wa kwanza na ule wa kushtukiza,
how to look slowly
namna ya kuangalia taratibu
that demand our attention --
siku yanayohitaji umakini wetu --
those lenses to help us see
lenzi kutusaidia kuona
and sculpture help?
na sanamu husaidia?
that engages both sight and insight
inahusisha uoni na maarifa
of where we are and what we see.
wapi tulipo na kipi tunachoona.
that visual intelligence --
maarifa ya uono --
seemingly abstract painting,
ambayo ni tulivu,
in person thousands of times,
Washington mara elfu moja,
of marble a third of the way up,
marumaru kwa theluthi kwenda juu,
at it out of context
nje ya muktadha
of this architectural icon made me realize
huu usanifu maarufu umenifanya kutambua
and eye-opening perspective.
that art just belongs in an art museum.
inatakiwa kuwepo tu katika jumba la sanaa.
use beyond its aesthetic value.
zaidi ya thamani ya urembo wake.
in every audience I teach.
ambao nafundisha.
their legs are crossed,
from this lady who talks fast
anayeongea haraka
at the work of art,
about what they see.
kuhusu wanachoona.
that this entire work of art
nzima ya sanaa
interesting to some of you,
with the work that these people do?
wanayofanya watu hawa?
multiple times on a daily basis,
kadhaa katika maisha ya kila siku,
at asking questions
kuuliza maswali
the question in such a way
katika namna hiyo
that we need to do our jobs,
kufanya kazi zetu,
spaces in a painting
katika mchoro
more discreet abnormalities in an MRI.
za kawaida katika MRI.
that understanding the emotional dynamic
kuelewa mabadiliko ya hisia
at a domestic violence crime scene,
palipotendeka unyanyasaji wa nyumbani,
before drawing and firing his weapon.
kutoa na kufyatua bunduki yake.
absences of color in paintings
utupu wa rangi katika mchoro
what their children say to them
wanachowaambia
more visually intelligent?
yetu?"
in a memo, in a text, in an email.
kumbukumbu, maandishi, barua pepe.
seeing and looking plays
na kuona linavyofanya kazi
can really improve everything.
kuboresha kila kitu.
of counterterrorism officials
wataalamu wa kupinga ugaidi
"The Purification of the Temple,"
in a sweeping and violent gesture,
ya kupangusa na yenye vurugu,
from the temple of prayer.
katika hekalu la maombi.
had five minutes with that painting,
na dakika tano katika mchoro ule,
they had to assess the situation,
walitakiwa kuichambua hali ile
in that painting.
katika mchoro ule.
observations and insights differed.
mtazamo na ufahamu ulitofautiana.
came from a seasoned cop
lilitoka kwa polisi wa msimu
he's causing all the trouble."
anayesababisha vurugu yote."
vehicle to rethink how we solve problems
ya kuwaza tena jinsi tunatatua matatizo
of Felix Gonzalez-Torres,
in perfect synchronicity.
sambamba kabisa.
second hand perfectly aligned.
vinafanana sawa sawa.
and they're touching,
"'Untitled' (Perfect Lovers)."
jina'(Wapenzi Kamilifu)."
battery-operated clocks,
is going to stop before the other.
to slow down and die before the other
mwendo na kufa kabla ya nyingine
the symmetry of the artwork."
wa kazi hii ya sanaa."
of a contingency plan.
for the unforeseen,
yale yasiyoonekana,
our visual intelligence
maarifa ya uono
and the small details
under the train,
chini ya treni,
in the candlesticks
ndani ya vinara
describes the painting
there's a train coming out of a fireplace,
inayotokea sehemu palipo na moto,
to say what isn't there,
kusema kisichokuwepo,
about visual intelligence
uono wa maarifa
that the boat had flipped over
kwamba mashua ilipinduka
investigators look for what is apparent,
huangalia kile kinachoonekana,
did something different.
alifanya kitu tofauti.
which is harder to do.
ambapo ni ngumu kufanya.
tipped flipped over --
at one end of the boat
mwisho mmoja wa mashua
but critical observation,
mdogo lakini muhimu,
from accidental death to homicide.
katika kifo mpaka mauaji.
to saying what isn't there
kisichokuwepo pale
where they may not be apparent.
uono ambapo vitu havionekani.
matandiko.
connections in everyday objects
uliojificha katika vitu vya kila siku
from all different people
kwa watu mbalimbali
of the blankets write, on a tag,
hayo kuandika, katika nembo,
the blanket to the family.
had been used for baby blankets,
yametumika kwa ajili ya watoto,
as picnic blankets,
matandiko ya mandari,
mbwa.
that they play.
wapya:
to the outside world.
na dunia ya nje.
in the outside world
katika dunia ya nje
with that connection in mind.
akiwa na uelewa na yale mahusiano akilini.
are connected as humans
wanaunganika kama wanadamu
as doctor and patient.
kama daktari na mgonjwa.
an overhaul in looking.
namna ya kutazama.
of building a brick wall
ya kujenga ukuta wa matofali
can be subtle and yet invaluable.
kuwa kiuerevu lakini ulio na thamani.
how it disrupted the symmetry
to the end of the sculpture,
mwisho wa sanamu,
in its entirety,
ukamilifu wake,
of the work's disruption on the bricks
uharibifu katika matofali
for over 15 years,
kwa miaka zaidi ya 15,
and astonishment --
na ustaajabu --
and amazement,
usiokoma,
with a critical eye
na jicho la ukaribu
of uncharted waters,
ya maji yasiyopimwa,
of what it is that we observe,
ya kipi ambacho tunatazama,
into actionable knowledge.
katika maarifa ya matendo.
of tables standing sentinel
ya meza ya mlinzi
of post-Katrina floodwaters
baada ya kimbunga cha Katrina
to act affirmatively
the professional spectrum
creativity and innovation,
where they may not be apparent,
kibinadamu pale ambao haupo.
and the world writ large
na dunia kwa ujumla
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Amy Herman - Visual educatorBy showing people how to look closely at painting, sculpture and photography, Amy Herman helps them hone their visual intelligence to recognize the most pertinent and useful information as well as recognize biases that impede decision making.
Why you should listen
Amy Herman is a lawyer and art historian who uses works of art to sharpen observation, analysis and communication skills. She developed her Art of Perception seminar in 2000 to improve medical students' observation and communication skills with their patients when she was the head of education at The Frick Collection in New York City. She subsequently adapted the program for a wide range of professionals and leads sessions internationally for the New York City Police Department, the FBI, the French National Police, the Department of Defense, Interpol, the State Department, Fortune 500 companies, first responders, the military and the intelligence community. In her highly participatory presentation, she demonstrates the relevance of visual literacy across the professional spectrum and how the analysis of works of art affords participants in her program an innovative way to refresh their sense of critical inquiry and reconsider the skills necessary for improved performance and effective leadership. The program has been featured in the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, "The CBS Evening News" and Smithsonian Magazine, among others.
Herman holds an AB, a JD and an MA in art history. Her book, Visual Intelligence, was published in May 2016 and was on both the New York Times and Washington Post bestseller lists.
Amy Herman | Speaker | TED.com