Monday, January 23, 2017

A Review on Viability- Italo Calvino

Viability by Italo Calvino takes a look into what imagination is. Calvino starts out by discussing Dante's reasoning for imagination. He then goes on to explain the two different ways people can use their imagination: starting with an image and creating words for it and recognizing a word and what image goes with it.

As Calvino goes on, he begins to question whether these images are from things we've seen before, or are completely imagined. I think that the images that come to mind are mostly things we have seen or experienced before. I do believe that some people can just create a new image in their mind on the spot, but I don't think many people are able to do so.

I think that imagination is a powerful tool because it is the way people envision life. For example, when someone says the word 'cat' to two different people, they could have two different images in their head. These images are shaped by people's everyday experiences.

Imagination has a lot to do with how we see art. The way someone sees art is a lot like his or her own imagination, everyone sees something different.

3 comments:

  1. Hi Jessica,

    I liked this piece by Calvino, especially after being able to read more of our peers' interpretations on it, I was able to get a deeper understanding of what the author was trying to portray. I like your connection between our own views of art and our imaginations; I wasn't able to catch that in the text, but am glad I was able to read your review because it makes complete sense!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I liked your perception of this reading, especially when you shared the cat example of everyone seeing and imaging things differently. I agree that this has a lot to do with how we make and experience art.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi Jessica,

    I also think the mind is a powerful tool when it comes to imagination. If you don't open up your mind and view the world with a positive and even distinct perspective, the possibilities are endless. Your mind controls you, and you can let it either open you up to new experiences, or block you from seeing the world clearly.

    ReplyDelete