Questioning Things
By: Harriet Kindleysides
Tags: Brand Strategy, Marketing, Strategy, Creativity, Art

I’ve long been a fan of the artist Grayson Perry.

In my opinion he speaks a lot of sense, and has a great ability to make art seem more accessible. But I’ve gained even more of an appreciation recently. Mainly because I finally got round to reading his book — ‘Playing to the Gallery’.

In it he debunks a lot of myths about the art world, what counts as art, and ways to view it.

He also talks about the role of the contemporary artist.

And in doing so there’s one thing which really stuck in my mind.

He said;

“my job is to notice things that other people don’t notice”

It likely struck a chord, because ‘noticing things’ is an inherent character trait of strategists. So, it kind of goes with the territory.

But it’s also because it highlighted one of the big reasons why I’m drawn to certain artworks over others. And that’s because of the artist’s ability to successfully notice, reframe and reflect the cultural psyche in a way that’s easy to understand and relate to, and, at best, completely change the way that you see something.

So while noticing things is one thing, a large part of how impactful a piece of work is in how well it effectively communicates these otherwise ‘unnoticed’ things. How much it challenges, questions and reframes existing ideas. And importantly how much it resonates.

This is as true of art, as it is of any kind of visual communications.

But noticing, and communicating the most useful or relevant insight, or idea is easier said than done. It’s also somewhat of a strategist’s holy grail.

So this got me thinking.

How do artists notice things? And what, if anything, can we can learn from that?

Noticing starts by asking interesting questions.

And art is a great lesson in how to ask.

As Ai Weiwei said:

“I always think art is a tool to set up new questions. To create a basic structure which can be open to possibilities is the most interesting part of my work…”

The ability to ask questions is one of the great powers of art. Both in terms of output (the idea or assumption the artist is questioning with their work) but also in terms of input (what kinds of questions they ask in the first place, and what possibilities it opens up).

Asking a good question can make the difference between a great work and a flop. A mediocre piece, and a piece which stops you in your tracks. A piece which invites new conversation, and lays the path for things to come.

The ability to ask questions is also a key part of a strategist’s toolbox — from questioning the brief (‘what problem are we trying to solve?’) to interviewing stakeholders and audiences to questioning the usefulness of an insight or idea.

So, I started to look at how art asks questions, to see how that could help me in my day-to-day role.

And in doing so I found three distinct themes that consistently crop up:

Question what you see Question how you see Question what isn’t being seen

Three powerful questions to ask when approaching any new challenge or client brief.

Let’s unpack that a bit further.

In order to ‘notice’ the interesting things, the ‘things that others don’t notice’, it’s important to look beyond the obvious. To forget what you know, and look at things through a fresh lens.

To question what you see.

Artists are masters of this. They constantly challenge themselves and their audience to forget their assumptions. Deliberately playing with perceptions of reality, to reframe the way that something is seen.

The work of conceptual artist Joseph Kosuth is a prime example of this.

He often commented on the gap between language, image and meaning in his work. ‘One and Three Chairs’, for example, simultaneously showcases a physical chair, a photograph of a chair and a written definition of a chair.

On the surface all three chairs represent the same idea (the chair), yet are not the same at all.

It’s a great lesson in not taking things at face value. And by stating the ‘obvious’ he successfully create the kind of ‘aha’ moment that leaves a lasting impression.

When it comes to strategy, stopping to question what you see is key.

Asking for example — What is the real question in the clients brief? What’s the real problem we’re trying to solve? and is what people say really what they mean?

But it’s equally useful to question how you see.

As Kosuth’s work shows — it’s important to be aware of our own filtering process (i.e. how we instinctively see things). But it’s also important to be aware of the filtering process which is happening all around us.

So while Kosuth draws attention to the nuances of interpretation and assumption, he equally questions how something is represented impacts how it is seen.

In part, this comes down to context.

In art, as in marketing, context is critical.

The format, time and surroundings through which an idea is delivered can completely shift its meaning, impact and relevance. So it’s pretty useful to consider when thinking about how to communicate the story that needs to be told.

Christian Marclay’s mesmerising and award winning video piece ‘The Clock’ highlighted this all too well.

Excerpt from ‘The Clock’ via YouTube

In it he stitched together thousands of video clips of clocks, from film and TV history, and played them out in real-time over 24 hours.

Taking the clips in isolation, he makes tiny ‘unnoticed’ moments the centrepiece. And by editing out complexity completely shifts the narrative. Making you consider the films, and the concept of time in a whole new way.

As Paul Klee said — “Art does not reproduce the visible; rather, it makes visible”.

And Marclay’s piece does a brilliant job of doing just that.

So, finally, and importantly, as Klee reminds us - question what isn’t being seen.

One of the great roles of art is to unlock, comment and shape culture.

A lot of the time this involves, not just questioning what is in plain sight, but what is hidden from view.

The Guerrilla Girls offer just one example of this.

Coined ‘the conscience of the art world’ they are a group of anonymous feminist activist artists that “wear gorilla masks in public and use facts, humor and outrageous visuals to expose gender and ethnic bias as well as corruption in politics, art, film and pop culture”. As they say, “… we undermine the idea of a mainstream narrative by revealing the understory, the subtext, the overlooked, and the downright unfair”.

Guerrilla Girls Images and Posters 1985–2018 via YouTube

Questioning what isn’t seen, or noticed, is the core theme of their work. But it’s also one which has the power to create real cultural change. Seeping into mainstream culture, since 1985 they have tirelessly campaigned for change. Inspiring countless activist-artists and fans as they go.

Questioning what isn’t being seen, or said, and making it visible is at the heart of any truly insightful piece of work.

But when it comes down to it a lot of the most powerful work has an authenticity to it that’s truly relatable, meaningful, and memorable.

It comes from expressing a central belief that is true to who the artist is. And creating a genuine connection with the person who’s viewing it.

And when they ask the right questions they have the power to capture attention, shift perceptions, and, ultimately drive behavioural change.

When it comes to working out the most useful way forward for brands, there’s something that can be learnt from that.

Question what you see, Question how you see it, but importantly, Question what isn’t being seen.

Often that’s where the most important messages lie.