[Dialogue] Jim Phillips

[Wayne Nelson]

I only worked with Jim once. It was during the lead up to a Chicago summer
program.  The plan was to build a giant assignments board for the
assignments commission work.  Jim had a connection with someone in a
refrigerator manufacturing firm. He had arranged for us to get several large
painted pieces of sheet metal that had flaws and could not be used to make
fridges.

He and I went to the place to pick them up - somewhere on Cermack Road, I
think. West and south of 5th City.  We picked them up, took them back to ICA
and I built the assignment board ­ across a huge wall at the south end of
the building. The ability to make up assignment scenarios visually was a
great help to those involved in the task.

I think they also liked playing with the magnetic name strips.  I¹m sure I
would have.  I would have made up all sorts of outrageous scenarios and
incendiary combinations of people while no one was looking  ­ just to twist
someone¹s tail. 

I think the spark that ignited the whole idea came from Jim. He knew this
guy, knew there would be "seconds" of white sheet metal and that you could
use magnets with names on them in that way. It was a brilliant set of
connections that made a real difference for a complex and difficult process.
He followed the idea through to completion.

Now I'm afraid of my own fridge - it might be generating its own
electro-magnetic field because of all the magnets. I fear it may just fall
on its face one day. ; )

The trip out and back was great. What a gracious and pleasant guy he was.
Sharp, well informed and a great person to talk with. I really enjoyed being
with him that afternoon.

\\/

< >  < >  < >  < >  < >
Wayne Nelson - ICA Associates Inc
ICA - 416-691-2316 - - - Cell ­ 647-229-6910
http://ica-associates.ca


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