Six Stories from the End of Representation

the long version

James Elkins tells six independent stories about images made in the last quarter century. Some come from the world of art (painting and photography) and some from science (physics, astrophysics, and microscopy). What these images have in common is that they all fail as representations: they are blurry, dark, pixelated, or otherwise inadequete to what they represent. Yet this is precisely why they are of interest. Studies that bring together art and science are often predicated on the idea that science influences art or vice versa. Elkins challenges this view and remains true to the material of each discipline. --From cover.