The organization of the artist is a method used by architect

Frank Gehry Frank Owen Gehry, , FAIA (; ; born ) is a Canadian-born American architect and designer. A number of his buildings, including his private residence in Santa Monica, California, have become world-renowned attractions. His works are considered ...

that places the artist in control of the design throughout a building construction and deliberately eliminates the influence of politicians and business people on design. Gehry enforces this organizational set-up when his designs are being built to avoid subordination of the design creator and to manage the project effectively. The heart of the phrase "organization of the artist" is to ensure that the design of the artist is actually built and not some compromise decided by political and business interests.

Origin

Gehry initially developed the concept of the organization of the artist as a reaction against what he calls the "marginalization of the artist." Gehry argues that the organization of the artist, in addition to making possible artistic integrity, also helps keep his buildings on time and budget, which is rare for the type of innovative and complex designs that Gehry is known for. The organization of the artist thus serves the dual purpose of

artistic freedom Artistic freedom (or freedom of artistic expression) can be defined as "the freedom to imagine, create and distribute diverse cultural expressions free of governmental censorship, political interference or the pressures of non-state actors." Gener ...

and economic prudence.

Application

In other projects Gehry has been less successful in enforcing the organization of the artist. For the

Walt Disney Concert Hall The Walt Disney Concert Hall at 111 South Grand Avenue in downtown Los Angeles, California, is the fourth hall of the Los Angeles Music Center and was designed by Frank Gehry. It was opened on October 24, 2003. Bounded by Hope Street, Grand Ave ...

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

(1989–2003) there was much interference from business and political interests, which caused large delays and cost overruns and an attempt to oust Gehry from the project. The integrity of Gehry's design was preserved only by the Disney family stepping in and demanding that Gehry stay on and finish the building."The Impossible Becomes Possible: The Making of Walt Disney Concert Hall." p 57 in Gloria Gerace, ''Symphony: Frank Gehry's Walt Disney Concert Hall'' (New York: Harry N. Abrams), 2003, pp. 35-59.
/ref> The organization of the artist is particularly relevant to organizations that place innovation and innovators at the core of their business model.

Apple Inc. Apple Inc. is an American multinational technology company headquartered in Cupertino, California, United States. Apple is the largest technology company by revenue (totaling in 2021) and, as of June 2022, is the world's biggest company ...

and

Pixar Pixar Animation Studios (commonly known as Pixar () and stylized as P I X A R) is an American computer animation studio known for its critically and commercially successful computer animated feature films. It is based in Emeryville, Californi ...

are such organizations and they are both organized according to versions of the organization of the artist. Former Apple

CEO A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especially ...

Steve Jobs Steven Paul Jobs (February 24, 1955 – October 5, 2011) was an American entrepreneur, industrial designer, media proprietor, and investor. He was the co-founder, chairman, and CEO of Apple; the chairman and majority shareholder of Pixar; a ...

explicitly celebrated the ideas of Frank Gehry in Apple's "

Think Different "Think different" is an advertising slogan used from 1997 to 2002 by Apple Computer, Inc., now named Apple Inc. The campaign was created by the Los Angeles office of advertising agency TBWA\Chiat\Day. The slogan has been widely taken as a respon ...

" campaign.

References

Architectural design {{architecture-stub