On the aesthetic relation of art to reality

NGC 1333: Stellar Nursery in Perseus

‘Let art be content with its lofty, splendid mission of being a substitute for reality in case of its absence, and of being a textbook of life for man. Reality stands higher than dreams, and essential purpose stands higher than fantastic claims.’

N.G. Chernyshevsky, ‘The Aesthetic Relation of Art to Reality’, MA thesis, 1855, in Selected Philosophical Essays, Foreign Languages Publishing House, Moscow, 1953, 379

No, no, he’s not dead, he’s, he’s restin!

Moon Enhanced

Of all the countless images I have seen of the moon, none illustrate its inhospitality as much as this. To better appreciate it, I recommend locating the image on the NASA site and enlarging it.

https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230116.html

Sorry, Greta – the one absolute is change

The Cat’s Eye Nebula – many flashes, one big flash…

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Brancusi did his best…

Bird in Space (L’Oiseau dans l’espace), 1932-1940, polished brass

…Nature didn’t even have to try.

NGC 4676: When Mice Collide

‘Let art be content with its lofty, splendid mission of being a substitute for reality in case of its absence, and of being a textbook of life for man. Reality stands higher than dreams, and essential purpose stands higher than fantastic claims.’

N.G. Chernyshevsky, ‘The Aesthetic Relation of Art to Reality’, MA thesis, 1855, in Selected Philosophical Essays, Foreign Languages Publishing House, Moscow, 1953, 379

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What artist could paint this?

Stars and Dust Across Corona Australis/Vikas Chander

‘Let art be content with its lofty, splendid mission of being a substitute for reality in case of its absence, and of being a textbook of life for man. Reality stands higher than dreams, and essential purpose stands higher than fantastic claims.’

N.G. Chernyshevsky, ‘The Aesthetic Relation of Art to Reality’, MA thesis, 1855, in Selected Philosophical Essays, Foreign Languages Publishing House, Moscow, 1953, 379

Two preludes merge

https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap210623.html

From a grain of sand…

Pearl in an oyster
NGC 602 and beyond

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This is not a pipe…

René Magritte, ‘La Trahison des images‘, oil on canvas, 1929

…and this is neither an aurora nor an image of one.

STEVE over Copper Harbour

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Scumble and glaze – or what you can do with a fox fur, unicorn horn and Christmas tree

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Wide Field: Fox Fur, Unicorn and Christmas Tree

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This is not a hole

marshole2r_hirise_960

A Hole in Mars

male-parson-s-chameleon-close-up-of-eye-ranomafana-national-park-south-eastern-madagascar_u-l-q10nz0x0

Male Parson’s chameleon eye, Madagascar

 

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Top image/bottom image