Standing on Marbles: Richard McKnight

Duende

Thu, 06 Jan 2011 22:27:50 GMT

]]>FROM KAROL WASYLYSHYN'S COMMENTARY ON THE POEM BY THIS TITLE:
With his duende—Spanish for personal magnetism and charm—this senior executive has eased his direct report’s anxiety and turned the annual performance review into a rare
and inspirational conversation. This conversation is anchored in an atmosphere of hope and passion about the future … a future they will create together. In the fading light of this important afternoon, there is a fierceness about the power of candor and clarity. We are reminded that the most remarkable leaders are inspirational, open, and strive to ignite excitement and alignment with the people whom they lead.

ABOUT THE IMAGE:
An ordinary urban scene, overlaid with leaves (well, the same one, turned this way and that in Photoshop), makes the setting magical.

On the River

Thu, 06 Jan 2011 22:29:16 GMT

]]>FROM KAROL WASYLYSHYN'S COMMENTARY ON THE POEM BY THIS TITLE:
Having struggled with the decision to retire, this corporate lawyer suffered no loss of identity or depressive effects that can typify this life stage transition. On the contrary, he felt relieved, revived, resuscitated. He found his new life rhythm quickly—abetted by engaging non-work-related interests and the fact that his positive sense of self was not dependent upon the continuance of his career.

ABOUT THE IMAGE:
This is a complex image made up of at least four photos: the fish, the vegetation, the texture over the whole thing, etc.

The Desert

Thu, 06 Jan 2011 22:31:04 GMT

]]>This image illustrates the introductory poem in Standing on Marbles, a piece Karol calls, "The Desert." I took it while waiting for a friend in Washington, DC. Looks like the silhouette of a cliff—which was clearly the architect's intention: it's really the side of the Native American Gallery on the mall in DC.

The Optimist

Thu, 06 Jan 2011 22:33:07 GMT

]]>I created this image many years ago but Karol really liked it and wanted it in the book. I use it for a kind of logo for my artwork. Obviously, it's just a picture of some roses overlaying a granite sculpture.

The Solidity of Fog

Thu, 06 Jan 2011 22:29:56 GMT

]]>FROM KAROL WASYLYSHYN'S COMMENTARY ON THE POEM BY THIS TITLE:
In Asia for the first time, this executive finds himself in the grip of its unfamiliarity and enigmatic beauty—both rolling over him as a fog. Despite the urgency of the business issues he must resolve there, he remains calm and resolute relying on his strengths, experiences, and instincts to find his way through the challenges before him.

ABOUT THE IMAGE:
Made expressly for Standing on Marbles. The poem calls for an Asian theme, but I didn't have anything. I swiped the shape of the building from a mundane online image, turned it into a silhouette, changed its color, added the vegetation, and learned how to make fog in Photoshop by watching a YouTube video!

Venezia

Thu, 06 Jan 2011 22:33:21 GMT

]]>FROM KAROL WASYLYSHYN'S COMMENTARY ON THE POEM BY THIS TITLE:
In the courtyard of Peggy Guggenheim’s Venetian palazzo is a stone carved with a few simple albeit inspirational words. These words caught the attention of the Managing Partner of a U.S. law firm who stopped to read them aloud and then recited them later at a luncheon with friends. In this vignette, we are reminded of the power of seizing an unexpected moment, of how such moments can ignite conversation, and of the importance of reflection.

ABOUT THE IMAGE:
This is one of the first digital "composites" I ever made. This process of combining parts of all of different photos into one, new image, can make ordinary things—a rose, a water texture—become something magical. Philadelphia's Schylkill River never looked so good!

Biscuit

Thu, 06 Jan 2011 22:27:03 GMT

]]>KAROL WASYLYSHYN'S COMMENTARY ON THE POEM BY THIS TITLE:
Despite the strain of frequent and long business travel, this husband and wife stayed focused on maintaining their version of work-family integration. In doing so, they minimized the feelings of emptiness and alienation that can erode the quality and stability of many executive couple relationships—especially
once they reach retirement.

Spin Me

Thu, 06 Jan 2011 22:30:18 GMT

]]>FROM KAROL WASYLYSHYN'S COMMENTARY ON THE POEM BY THIS TITLE:
Despite the widespread use of 360-feedback and its proven value as a leadership development tool, many executives are not open to information that challenges the persona they have carefully crafted from the outset of a career. Along with the persona comes a thick set of defenses to protect it. These defenses include denial, withdrawal, and rationalization. “Spin Me” captures a leader’s instantaneous fury about—and burning need to defend against—the constructive feedback given him by his Human Resources Vice President.

Cracked

Thu, 06 Jan 2011 22:27:11 GMT

]]>FROM KAROL WASYLYSHYN'S COMMENTARY ON THE POEM BY THIS TITLE:
There are business executives with psychiatric disorders running business organizations. While rare in large, public companies, it is not uncommon in privately-held enterprises. In these contexts, there can be brilliant founder/ owners or second or third generation family members with diagnosable psychological
problems. With no one to whom they must report, no scrutiny of a Board of Directors, these leaders can wreak constant emotional
havoc.

ABOUT THE IMAGE:
I photographed the skull (covered with graphite squares) at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Using Photoshop, I sent it rolling along. The benign Septa tracks in my little town of Narberth never looked so sinister.

Emperor's Jacket

Thu, 06 Jan 2011 22:28:10 GMT

]]>FROM KAROL WASYLYSHYN'S COMMENTARY ON THE POEM BY THIS TITLE:
Too often companies experience negative hiring outcomes because they fail to assimilate or “on board” new hires. In “Emperor’s Jacket” we see this problem play out in an alpha male culture in which outsiders must prove themselves quickly before receiving any measure of respect or collegiality. The problem is exacerbated further by a General Manager with a penchant for hiring atypical job candidates—and by a candidate who was not a good match for the job but who nevertheless allowed himself to be lured into it by his boss’s charismatic persuasion.

ABOUT THE IMAGE:
For a while there, I was photographing a lot of sculpture and imposing features or elements from other photos. This time, it's a mask overlaid with the eyes of one of daughter's friends and someone else's mouth, all composited over the side of a building. Hauntingly forlorn, I thought, and perfect for this poem.

Empy Next

Thu, 06 Jan 2011 22:28:22 GMT

]]>FROM KAROL WASYLYSHYN'S COMMENTARY ON THE POEM BY THIS TITLE:
This CEO of a non-for-profit organization wrestled with the conundrum of meaning exacerbated by “empty nest” feelings—intense feelings triggered by her younger child leaving for college. Her Freudian slip of “next” for “nest” opened a conversation with the author about legacy. In the wake of this important conversation, she discovered new meaning through the identification of a few compelling life goals—and her explicit planning for how to achieve them.

ABOUT THE IMAGE:
A lot of people like this image. It's straight photography and just a grab shot: I was lagging behind my family while visiting the Bloedel Estate on Bainbridge Island, WA. I fired off one shot and rushed away. Lucky me.

Mourning in Kyoto

Thu, 06 Jan 2011 22:29:01 GMT

]]>FROM KAROL WASYLYSHYN'S COMMENTARY ON THE POEM BY THIS TITLE:
The generosity of an emotionally attuned boss helped one of his direct reports mourn the loss of her husband. Knowing that she was a gardener, he encouraged the inclusion of Kyoto in a business trip she took to Asia. While walking the gardens there, she began a journey back to herself—a self that still embraced her marital identity but also started to become distinct from it.

ABOUT THE IMAGE:
I took a lot of pictures around Hay Down Farm (see the Black & White Gallery for another) while my daughter took riding lessons. You'd be surprised what those little point-and-shoot cameras are capable of when you point them in the right direction.

Snow Bank

Sun, 06 Feb 2011 21:31:54 GMT

]]>The morning after a big snow storm, the sun cast vivid shadows over the road, creating lovely shapes and stripes. This is straight photography without manipulation.