nickshanagher

David Hockney tells a story about a great European portrait that was presented to the Empress of China. In Europe, artists like Caravaggio painted shadows. In China, Japan, Pakistan and India, the artists did not. Looking at the picture, the empress said: "I can assure you, my face is the same colour on both sides." While David Hockney uses this story to promote his idea that cameras were used as technical tools to support great art by the old masters, it is useful to consider what it tells you about gifts and how you receive them. Hard pressed local retailers considering the gift of strategic insight from suppliers often don't get it. The suppliers leave frustrated at the "independence" of the retailer. The retailer perhaps scratches his or her head. Booker this year handed out an excellent guide called "5 Steps to great retailing". I have been meaning to blog about it for a long time. (It would be interesting to hear from anyone who has used ...