Amy Herman: A lesson on looking
ئامى ھارمەن: وانەیەک لەبارەی تێڕوانینەوە
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
وادەردەکەوێت کە کاتژمێرى باپیرت بێت
.بە پەتێک بەستراوە
that this entire work of art
کە بەتەواوى کارێکى هونەریە
Honduras mahogany.
.دارى ماهۆگەنى هیندوراس
about looking at sculpture.
.دەربارەى سەیرکردنى پەیکەر نەبوو
that looking closely can save a life,
،بەوردى گەڕان، ژیان دەپارێزێت
why your children behave the way they do.
.لەڕەفتارى منداڵەکەت
visual intelligence,
،دەنێم زیرەکى بینراو
،خەڵک بەکاردەهێنم
to those for whom looking is the job,
،ئەوانەى کە بەدواى کاردا دەگەڕێن
detectives and trauma nurses.
.تاوان و پەرستارانى دەرونى
you might be at looking,
to learn about seeing.
.دەربارەى بینین فێربیت
in a first glance and a sudden flash,
.بینیندا لێی تێگەیشتووین
how to look slowly
بریتیە لە گەڕان بە هێواشی
that demand our attention --
سەرنجى زیاترمان لێ دەکات
those lenses to help us see
سەیریان بکەین کە یارمەتی بینینمان دەدەن
.چیمان ونکردوە
and sculpture help?
چ یارمەتییەکمان دەدات؟
that engages both sight and insight
تواناى بینین و تێگەیشتنمان
of where we are and what we see.
.بۆ کوێ دەچین دەکات
that visual intelligence --
seemingly abstract painting,
.وەڵام دەداتەوە
in person thousands of times,
،پەیکەرى واشنتۆنم کردووە
of marble a third of the way up,
،بە سێ ڕێگە
at it out of context
سەیرم نەکردبوو
of this architectural icon made me realize
جیۆرج ئۆکیف وایکرد بڕوابکەم
and eye-opening perspective.
that art just belongs in an art museum.
.هونەریی تەنها مۆزەخانەکانە
use beyond its aesthetic value.
.هونەرەوە نییە و تەنها جوانى گرینگە
in every audience I teach.
.ئەم کەسانە دەناسمەوە
their legs are crossed,
قاچ لەسەر قاچ
from this lady who talks fast
خاتونە کە بەخێرایى دەربارەى
،هونەرییە بکەن
at the work of art,
about what they see.
.سەبارەت بەوەی کە دەیبینن
پەیکەرە؟
that this entire work of art
interesting to some of you,
with the work that these people do?
لەگەڵ کەسانیتردا کارى لەسەر بکەن؟
multiple times on a daily basis,
.مرۆڤەکان پەیوەندی دەگرن
at asking questions
ڕێکبخەین
the question in such a way
that we need to do our jobs,
کە لە کارەکانماندا پێویستمانە
spaces in a painting
بۆشاییە نەرێنیەکان
more discreet abnormalities in an MRI.
.دەدات
that understanding the emotional dynamic
کە تێگەیشتن لە جوڵەى هەستەکان
at a domestic violence crime scene,
.جەستە لە کەیسێکی توندوتیژدا
before drawing and firing his weapon.
.پێش ڕاکێسان و تەقەکردن بە چەکەکەی
absences of color in paintings
بە نەبونى ڕەنگ لە تابلۆکان بکەن
what their children say to them
کە منداڵەکانیان چیان پێ دەڵێن
more visually intelligent?
وێنە بینمە بەرچاوم؟
"چیم پێویست نییە؟
in a memo, in a text, in an email.
لەیاداشتێک، لە دەقێک، یان ئیمەیڵێکدا
seeing and looking plays
سەیرى کام شانۆ دەکەین
can really improve everything.
.هەموشتێک پێش دەخات
of counterterrorism officials
دژە تیرۆرمان هەبوو
"The Purification of the Temple,"
"،پاکردنەوەى پەرستگا"
in a sweeping and violent gesture,
،لە جوڵەیەکى سەختى بازنەیدایە
from the temple of prayer.
.لە کەنیسە پاک دەکاتەوە
had five minutes with that painting,
،دژە تیرۆر پێنج خولەکى هەبوو
they had to assess the situation,
،بارودۆخەکە بخەمڵێنن
in that painting.
observations and insights differed.
.پێشبینى جیاواز هەبوو
came from a seasoned cop
خاوەن ئەزموونەوە بۆ هات
he's causing all the trouble."
".ئەو هۆکارى هەموکێشەکانە
vehicle to rethink how we solve problems
هێزى دوبارە بیرکردنەوەمان پێدەدات
of Felix Gonzalez-Torres,
in perfect synchronicity.
.هاوتا دروستکراون
second hand perfectly aligned.
.بە تەواوى هاوتان
and they're touching,
.دەجوڵێن
"'Untitled' (Perfect Lovers)."
battery-operated clocks,
،کاتژمێرەکان بەکاردەخەن
is going to stop before the other.
.ئەوەى تر لەکار دەکەوێت
to slow down and die before the other
هێواش دەبێتەوەو لەکار دەکەوێت
the symmetry of the artwork."
".جوانى بەرهەمى هەەنەری
of a contingency plan.
for the unforeseen,
،نەکراوت هەبێت
،و نەزانراوبێت
our visual intelligence
and the small details
بچوکەکان تێدەگەى
under the train,
،لەژێر شەمەندەفەرەکەوە نییە
in the candlesticks
describes the painting
وێنەکیێشانى کردووە
there's a train coming out of a fireplace,
،لە ئاگرداتەکە هاتە دەرەوە
to say what isn't there,
،پێچەوانەى ئەمە دەردەکەوێ
about visual intelligence
زیرەکى بینراو بوو
that the boat had flipped over
کە بەلەمەکە وەرگەڕابوو
investigators look for what is apparent,
،دەستکەوتنى سەرەداوێک دەگەڕا
did something different.
which is harder to do.
.ئەمەش زەحمەت بوو
tipped flipped over --
هەڵگەڕابێتە سەرەوە ـ ـ
at one end of the boat
بەلەمەکە دا پارێزراون
but critical observation,
،بەڵام سەرنجێکى ڕەخنەگرانە
from accidental death to homicide.
.گۆڕا بۆ کوشتن
to saying what isn't there
بڵێین کە چى لێنە بوو
where they may not be apparent.
.بینراوەکان لەوانەیە ڕوون نەبن هەیە
.کە بەتانییەکانی بە ستونى دانا
connections in everyday objects
شاراوەکان لە بابەتەکانى ڕۆژانەدا
from all different people
خەڵکى جیاواز کۆکردۆتەوە
of the blankets write, on a tag,
the blanket to the family.
had been used for baby blankets,
as picnic blankets,
،سەیران بەکاردەهاتن
that they play.
:دەکەم
to the outside world.
.هاوبەش هەیە لەگەڵ جیهانى دەرەوە
in the outside world
هەبێت لە جیهانى دەرەوە
with that connection in mind.
.بەهۆى ئەوەى پەیوەندى بە مێشکیان هەیە
are connected as humans
پەیوەستن وەکو مرۆڤ
as doctor and patient.
an overhaul in looking.
of building a brick wall
جۆرگ مێندیز
can be subtle and yet invaluable.
.دەبێت ورد و بێهاوتا بێت یان بێنرخ بێت
how it disrupted the symmetry
چۆن بە ڕێکو پێکى دابەشیکردوە
to the end of the sculpture,
،کۆتایى پەیکەرەکە
in its entirety,
،هونەرى بە چاوێکی گەورە
of the work's disruption on the bricks
تێکشکانى کارەکە لەسەر خشتەکان ببینیت
for over 15 years,
،وانەی زیرەکى بینراو دەڵێمەوە
and astonishment --
and amazement,
with a critical eye
بەچاوى ڕەخنەگرانەوە
of uncharted waters,
،لەم جیهانە بێ وێنەیە
of what it is that we observe,
سەرنجدانمان تێبگەین
into actionable knowledge.
of tables standing sentinel
کە مێزەکان وەک سەرباز وەستاون
of post-Katrina floodwaters
هەڕەشەى لافاو دەبوونەوە
to act affirmatively
پشتگیریان لێ بکەین
the professional spectrum
بەبێ جیاوازی
ڕۆژێکدا شتێکى نائاسای ببینن
creativity and innovation,
where they may not be apparent,
.بکەین، کە لەوانەیە دیار نەبێت
and the world writ large
هەروەها بینینی جیهان وەک کتێبێکى گەورە
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