Do you consider yourself visually intelligent? (And no, eyesight has nothing to do with it.)

Amy Herman's book “Visual Intelligence” will make you think twice about answering in the affirmative. In it, art historian Herman discusses using art to help people improve their observation and communication skills. She features art of naked women with breasts sagging on their stomachs and sculptures made from urinals and makes you look at Monet's paintings and Michelangelo's David in new ways to learn how to see.

She's been doing so for the likes of first responders, intelligence operatives, Fortune 500 CEOs, students and civil servants for the last 14 years under her Art of Perception program — the impetus for “Visual Intelligence.” The book focuses on the mechanics of how we see the way we see, and the science of perception.

“We act as if there is only one true way to see. Our brains can only see so much and can process even less,” Herman said. “I'm trying to use art as the great equalizer to point this out to people, so that they are receptive to the fact that we see things differently, literally and figuratively. Everything from our inherited biology to our learned biases influences the way we take in the world. Not only do we, as individuals, observe, notice and gather information differently, we also perceive what we've gathered differently.”

Some ways perception can hinder us: tunnel vision, or seeing what we want to see; functional fixedness, or the habit of seeing things from only one perspective. And “willful blindness,” to denote the things we choose, even unconsciously, not to see.

“Perceptual filters are a product of our upbringing, education, associations, experiences … making us see things a certain way,” Herman said. Herman teaches people how to notice their “seeing” weaknesses and rise above them on a daily basis to improve their lives.

“It's seeing versus observing,” Herman said. “Technically, biologically, we can wire our brains to see better; that's where art comes in. Art provides exercises that improve one's attention and memory, both of which are integral to observation skills.”

Herman says observation can be mastered with practice and developed by cultivating the habit of watching things with an active, inquiring mind. She offers these tips for seeing and communicating better:

Say what you see, not what you think.

Don't rely on technology. “No matter how helpful technology has become, it is no match for a good set of eyes and a brain,” Herman says.

Don't mistake biases for facts; instead use them to find facts.

Always ask questions, especially of yourself. To crystallize your communication, assume that person you are communicating with can't see what you're seeing at all. Use objective words when communicating (such as numbers, colors, sounds, materials, location).

Gather what facts you can by looking at both the big picture and the small details, step back, consider other perspectives, analyze, prioritize, ask questions, and communicate clearly and concisely.

“There's a lot of data out there, but we have to call our attention to it,” Herman said. “If you simply engage all your senses, they will deliver everything you need and more. Your brain is more powerful than any gadget. Just turn it back on.”

Herman, former head of education for The Frick Collection in New York, is on a mission to open the eyes of as many people as possible. The former lawyer has opened the eyes of members of the Chicago Police Department, The New York Police Department, and FBI and CIA agents doing surveillance. She's taught those in the military sector, IRS, DEA and financial institutions. Her perception prowess has been called invaluable by the Department of Defense.

“People say, what do cops need to learn about art? But cops aren't learning about art — I'm helping cops do their jobs more effectively by learning to see things differently. It's not rocket science, but it's resonating in a way that I would never have imagined,” Herman said. “I realized everybody needs this on a base level.”

Assistant U.S. Attorney Sheri Mecklenburg, former general counsel for the Chicago Police Department, has taken Herman's class a number of times. She says the class is often referred to as “useful, interesting and fun.”

“After my course, I'll have people tell me, “I need to go back to my crime scene photos,” Herman said.

“When you look at a crime and there's a problem that won't go away or a case you can't solve, it's a skill to know you should go back and look at it from a different perspective to get results,” Mecklenburg said.

drockett@chicagotribune.com