"Visibility" by Italo Calvino

In my reading of Calvino’s “Visibility,” I was presented with a concept that I have never really taken the time to think about before, the imaginative process.  I have always been aware that art springs from the imagination, but I never questioned how the imagination works or what factors can affect the imagination.  One part of my reading that I found to be particularly interesting is when Calvino talks about the two types of imaginative process.  One is through reading, which causes us to produce a mental image in our heads of what is occurring.  The other is through actual images that allow us to come to verbal conclusions.  It is intriguing to think about where the images in our mind all come from.  This leads me to believe that there are not just two distinct processes of our imagination.  I feel that the images and stories that spring from our imaginations are too complex to explain how they come to be in one of two concrete ways.  This is what makes art and our reactions to art so unique and amazing.