Richard Misrach – Untitled 06 (Series from On the Beach).jpg, originally uploaded by drowned.boys.

This weekend I had the pleasure of visiting the Henry Art Gallery in Seattle to see
Richard Misrach; On The Beach collection

 http://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/2008/misrach/

 Click the middle of the photo the arrow will take you forward and back through his entire collection.

The collection was photographed from a hotel room high above the shore line. The perspective is horizon less accentuating the enormity of the Ocean, nature and the frailty of Man. Misrach explains his perspective. "I was drawn to the fragility and grace of the human figure in the landscape." The horizon less perspective underlines the enormity of those elements outside of Mans control.

At the Henry Art Gallery in Seattle Misrach photos scaled the walls. Each photo ranged in size from 4 to 7 feet high and 8- 15 feet wide. Perspective. Scale. The enormity of the images, the lack of borders or horizon, the seeming insignificance of the people within the photos; altered my perspective.

I started to think about perspective; life and business, people and things, love and war, faith and doubt.

Perspective

Moving around the gallery I could not escape the thoughts running through my mind. Perspective is everything, my mind whispered. Up close with a microscope I see one thing, far away with a telescope another, through the lens of judgment, or misunderstanding something altogether different.

When I evaluate things with the same thinking I used to create them, I see one thing, when I ascend as Misrach did to higher ground, to more advanced thinking, my viewpoint changes. When I descend and look up at things; life and business grow enormous.

The light I view my subjects in matters. In daylight I have one perspective, admidst rain and sleet another and in the dead of night quite another. When our vision is obstructed, when we look thru colored lenses, when we are POW sleepless or altered by  substances; perspective suffers.

Perspective is dependent.

Perspective.

Where are you standing today? Are you down below sea level looking up from the bottom of the Ocean with your oxygen tank full or is it nearly empty?

Are you circling in a helicopter peering out of binoculars?

Are you sitting just inches away?

How is your perspective determing the results you experience in life? The way you lead, the way you live? Are you so comfortable with the 'view' you've forgotten your underwater and you need another oxygen tank or are you so hyped up on caffeine or chilled out on alchohol that you can't even really see? When was the last time you thought about your perspective and its impact on your business, your relationships and your life?

Go ahead: move around; up, down, closer, further away. Look thru new tools. Connect with someone and ask them to share their perspective.

I'm going to work on my perspective this week and I'll let you know what I learn. Perhaps you might also try some new lenses, climb or descend into a new position, listen to others perspectives, or even identify things, people and circumstances that are impairing your vision.

Perspective

Pam Hoelzle

Seattle Business Consulting

www.pamhope.com