This is Violin and Guitar by Juan Gris, one of the cubists.
As a communications advisor, I often tell my clients that they have to get to the point quickly because audiences tend to have an attention span of a five year old. It’s just a fact that we won’t – or can’t – concentrate for long if we’re not rewarded quickly.
Our constant access to information has made us confused and very impatient. We juggle multiple channels of information. It’s non stop. It’s information overload.
Juan and other cubist painters of that period understood this. They show us the consequences of the digital world we live in today.
When I stood in front of this painting I said to myself: “That’s a perfect reflection of my life in 2022. I’m nowhere and everywhere at the same time. My focus is bifocal – or trifocal. My brain is multi channeled – constantly reacting to the impulses of the information highway. For goodness sake, I’m viewing the painting through the lens of my phone. And checking Wiki at the same time. Am I present? Or where am I present?
Look at the picture again. It’s spot on. It was painted in 1913!
We all live in this reality. That’s why I keep telling my expert speakers to get to the point quickly. Find the hook that will make the audience focus and help them to be present in the moment. Let’s have an experience together. Listening and learning.
