A great article by Eleanor Robbins on the place of art in our lives and using these two photos as a metaphor for the way our appreciation of the world has changed.

Art is not a mirror of metaphysics but the praxis of metaphysics. It’s the workshop of human cosmology, where the infinite is summoned and mixed with what’s earthside, in a shareable shape that shows people what kind of world they live in. It’s a practice that births the world.

Or at least, this is what art can be, and was for a very long time. Here’s the twist: In the story of our cultural amnesia about the power and purpose of art, the difference between the two paintings above is a crucial plot point. Because though this second Last Supper’s way of seeing brought us many wonderful things (not least the masterpiece that is this painting), as far as art and cosmology are concerned, it set us on a path to a dead end.

Go read the full essay here: A primer for making art in the cosmological vibe shift