Art as Metaphor, Modeling the Strength of Transparency
Our Ikaria Design headquarters have recently been graced by some special new artwork. You’ve seen the work of the artist, Nathan Halwel, in our company logo, the design of our custom boxes, as well as other graphic projects. And most special of all, his parenting of our granddaughter.
Nate was inspired by the line drawings depicting the Soul Seat in the original patent drawings. These images capture both the form and the function of the Soul Seat in an elegant and seemingly effortless way. However, there was nothing effortless about the artistry needed to produce this tryptic of a furniture icon. The artistic decisions that went into choosing which lines and features to highlight, which to make transparent, and keeping the balance between the foreground, background, and deep interior planes were certainly immense.
Soon after the three panels arrived, we were interviewing a new staff member, articulating two of our core values of transparency and healthy boundaries. Mid-sentence, my eye caught the three images on the wall and I realized how perfectly Nate's art captures the balancing dance of these two values. His work presents the solidity of the metal parts, the curvaceous upholstered cushions, and the beautiful forms of the bamboo legs in a way that lets the viewer dial in and out of surface and interior without losing perspective on the whole.
Transparency and boundaries. How do you balance these two facets of a healthy culture? Nate’s art is a metaphor and visual reminder for us that the two are not mutually exclusive. And here at Ikaria Design, we strive to keep them both in play, artfully balanced and re-balanced in a dynamic alignment. We expect everyone on the team to be transparent about their mistakes so we can reset the flow of production as quickly as possible. We count on teammates to have healthy boundaries about maintaining their physical and emotional health, taking ownership of negotiating schedules, and renegotiating expectations when deadlines are not met so the projects that depend on them can be re-aligned. And, we expect teammates to be transparent about their emotional state so that there is little guessing and fewer false assumptions.
We relish the healthy drama of ideas and passions confidently debated, and we savor the emotional safety that is the bedrock for creative contributions from everyone. Transparency and boundaries are not mutually exclusive. The re-balancing may be a little messy or awkward at times, but that’s when we lean into our other core values of mutual respect, care, and compassionate trust.
Here in our headquarters, we are so fortunate to have life and artful design echoing and reinforcing each other every day. What values does your Soul Seat help you stay connected to?
