The nature of imitation

While art is often defined as an imitation of nature, nature is often an improvement on art.

Check out these grains of sand:

Or this view of the microstructure of austenitic steel.

If the above had been painted by a Cubist in the teens or twenties, it would probably be hanging in a museum. Instead, it’s used in teaching metallurgy.

I tried to copy nature by casting it directly into aluminum:

Whether that’s an improvement, I don’t know. It will definitely last longer than the mess I painstakingly pulled out of the mold a week after I set it up.


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2 responses to “The nature of imitation”

  1. Jennifer Krieger Avatar
    Jennifer Krieger

    I am unaccountably thrilled by pretty rocks and other of Nature’s detritus.

  2. […] casting, you will have an interesting art piece. Which you would, and which I, as someone who has done aluminum casting, can […]