An individual’s experience with a myriad of real, imagined and remembered landscapes enhances another’s understanding of the world.
In today’s society, people are impacted by travelogues, and Allain de Botton’s memoir The Art of Travel (2002) (AOT) serves as an exemplar that landscapes are capable in shaping a person’s outlook on life. Similarly, Frida Kahlo’s surreal self portrait Roots (1943) reveals her intimate connection to the Mexican landscape as she struggles to establish her femininity due to her tragic infertility, exploring preconceived societal expectations and the human condition. AOT and Roots complement the notion of sublimity and ______, communicating the importance of appreciation for not only the grand scale of the natural world but also the minor details to be found within. By retelling personal experiences, composers are able to impact greatly on the respondent’s outlook on their personal world and that within which they travel.
