Imaginative Variations: A Phenomenological Analysis of Imaginary Worlds in Experiences of Visual Art

In experiences of visual art, we enter imaginary worlds that consist of phenomenologically distinguishable variations of imagination. In this article, we empirically describe some of these variations and the imaginary worlds of which they are part. Based on phenomenological interviews about intense experiences with visual art, we distinguish between sensory imaginings, imaginings of bodily presence, and situational imaginings, each signifying different imaginary content but all related in a dynamic interplay that shape the coherent imaginary experience. We show how imagination is fundamental to experiences of visual art, and how our imaginary worlds relate to the work of art in different ways.