How does art influence our perception of the world? Can fostering creativity in education lead to overall personal happiness and growth? What lessons can be drawn from historical and modern art practices?

Will Gompertz is the director of Sir John Soane’s Museum in London, and the author of several books, including What Are You Looking At?: The Surprising, Shocking, and Sometimes Strange Story of 150 Years of Modern Art, Think Like an Artist: How to Live a Happier, Smarter, More Creative Life, and most recently See What You're Missing.

Greg and Will discuss the transformative power of art as a tool for self-help and critical engagement. Will analyzes the impact of creativity in education, emphasizing the need for a balanced curriculum that fosters both artistic and analytical thinking. Greg and Will talk about some key figures in the modern art world such as Pierre Mondrian and Marcel Duchamp, who serve as examples of revolutionary artists that challenged the status quo. Will and Greg also explore new ways to look at the importance of teaching art in schools, and how supportive environments in schools and workplaces, like those fostered under leaders like Satya Nadella, can enhance curiosity and innovation. 

*unSILOed Podcast is produced by University FM.*

Show Links:

Recommended Resources:

• Leonardo da Vinci
• Piero della Francesca
• Marcel Duchamp
• Fountain (Duchamp)
• The Death of Socrates
• Steve Jobs
• Louise Bourgeois
• Piet Mondrian
• Riccardo Muti
• Sir John Soane's Museum
• Royal Academy of Arts
• Satya Nadella
• David Foster Wallace
• Paul Cézanne
• Albert Rothenberg
• Maurizio Cattelan
• Sol LeWitt
• David Hockney
• Alan Ayckbourn

Guest Profile:

• Profile at the Sir John Soane’s Museum of London
• Wikipedia Profile
• Social Profile on Instagram
• Social Profile on X

His Work:

• Amazon Author Page
• See What You're Missing
• Think Like an Artist: How to Live a Happier, Smarter, More Creative Life
• What Are You Looking At?: The Surprising, Shocking, and Sometimes Strange Story of 150 Years of Modern Art
• Articles in The Guardian

Episode Quotes:

Why is art considered self-help?

01:18: I think art is self-help. I think art is self-help by the artist when he or she is trying to express themselves. It's self-help for us as viewers when we're trying to commune with this idea, this thing which has been put before us and asked us to consider it. And so, I think actually for this sort of the crazy world we live in now, museums, galleries, art, the arts more broadly, are the sanest things that are available to us, where humans are thinking and sharing and considering and challenging and sharing their feelings in a way that seems to be completely disappearing from everyday life, which seems to be getting more hectic, more insular, more anxiety-ridden. So actually, I think the arts are an entity, a form of self-help for all involved.

Creativity and asking questions make us human

07:05: Creativity and asking questions are what make us human. Therefore, when we're doing that, we're at our most human; we're feeling the life force at its most powerful. 

On creating safe spaces for self-discovery in schools

17:56: School should be a place of self-discovery, friendship, community, and expression, not somewhere which feels like an army drill camp; where you get shouted at and told to sit still, sit still, then sit still. But why don't you want to sit still? So we start asking questions and start creating environments where young people feel respected and safe.

Do people need to set aside some time for the consumption of art?

53:45: Human beings have created art in one way, shape, or form since the very first person walked on this earth. And we will continue to create art until the very last person walks on this earth. It (art) is an essential part of the human experience. Therefore, we should all be given the time and space to enjoy.