“…When the light of sense goes out, but with a flash that has revealed
The invisible world…”
-William Wordsworth
Imagination is a language without words through which we vicariously get transported even to unknown places. It brings both pleasant and sad thoughts to our mind. We get to measure the depths of infinity and yet there would be more space to cover up. Imaginations are endless. They become so engraved in our mind, creating a world of their own, where we seek refuge. We start living it, making it a reality. Whether you agree or not, escapism is rejuvenating, sometimes. It feels like moving on a road which keeps on stretching far and wide. We might not necessarily want to reach the destination, as we are busy recording the miles we have covered. But when we get hit by a boulder, the revelation of how reality intrudes in, and how it is not always a smooth ride, flashes clearly.
Now, have a look at the painting below. What comes to your mind?
Well, did you have to look at that twice? What did you interpret? Were you able to find a horse?
Let me decipher it for you. The painting above is a famous example of a Cubist Painting by Jean Metzinger called ‘Le Femme au Cheval’ or ‘Woman with a horse’. The woman is wearing a pearl necklace and one could see how the horse and trees are immersed in the background. It looks as if shards of glasses are put together to make this work of art. The aim of Cubist paintings is to make the viewer not just to see, but observe and scrutinize any painting being made on canvas. This is done to enable the viewers to introspect about it and come up with various perspectives. Generally, a Cubist painting captures a scene from various angles and tries to amalgamate them into an integrated whole. The painting is made not just to look at it, but to comprehend it as well. Some may find the woman ride a horse, while others may not see a horse at all. Our imaginative faculties are put to test when we observe such beautiful Cubist paintings.
How about another one?
This celebrated work of art called ‘The Three Musicians’ was painted by Pablo Picasso. The painting looks like a paper cutout, as we do not know where it starts and ends and as the shapes intersect and overlap with each other. The three figures shown above have a level of continuity. The figures are flat, abstract and vibrant. When the viewer participates, the painting starts making sense. Through Imagination, one can make an ordinary object look extraordinary. It just needs that artistic lens to germinate into something new.
What are your views?
Sometimes, mental images become difficult to be communicated and put into words. As a result, we use allusions and metaphors to construct a physical world. We invent a meaning for our abstract thoughts. It arouses our cognition and we attain the stature of a creator who transforms his mental image to a real thing. While heaven and hell are beyond our experience, but its descriptions are definitely within our experience. For example, Hell is a place of hopelessness and suffering, a bottomless pit where men are tormented with fire. This place called Hell transcends reality, but its descriptions are sensory. They give us the sensation of darkness, heat and sorrow which each one of us has experienced. Similarly, when Satan comes out of the lake of fire, the shield hung on his shoulders is compared to the moon. Thus, we use our imagination to perceive the transcendent and supernatural.
Imagination leads to exciting possibilities. So, start dreaming.
“Logic will get you from A to z, imagination will get you everywhere.”
- Albert Einstein
What is the best thing you have imagined so far?
