Something very interesting happens when we work at scale with visuals. I saw the David Hockney exhibition recently and was literally transported into his world. But what was interesting was that it was also my world.
Trust me – the similarity with Hockney ends there. He is a proper artist but I hope it makes my point.
When I'm working at scale I too observe the impact and the value of the visual in getting people engaged. The big difference with my stuff though is the act of collaborative creation. People seeing their own thoughts literally flying onto the canvas. They are part of the creativity. The conversation comes to real life!
What is going on here?
There is a very human thing in being part of a team, a tribal thing that binds people together as they go on a mission where each and everyone has a role to play. Some act of creation where the building of something weaves all their dreams and ambitions into one.
People often remark that they themselves can't draw but appreciate that seeing their thoughts drawn live and made highly meaningful is a good second. The audience is literally drawn in and they become part of the collective 'artistry.' We sometimes describe the result as a 'tapestry' and in many ways that is a better word as often tapestries are made by many artisans.
Seeing things at scale, seeing and understanding the connections between things is only really convenient at a sufficient scale. Looking at entities, intangible ideas and being creative with a sense of freedom and emotion is far easier at scale. Getting people engaged across a big team, and 20/30 feet away, is only possible at scale. Rather like an enormous billboard or outdoor installation that demands a second look – developing a strategy at scale is a very powerful thing!
Fundamentally this is about sheer scale. The size of things makes a big difference! A massive difference and something that has to be witnessed to be fully understood. Their is quite a bit of awe seeing Hockney's work at the Royal Academy. Their is a lot of surprise and immersion by people who don't often get the chance to get inside their opportunity, challenge or ambition.
This way they most certainly can
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