But _it becomes art just in so far as it overcomes reality, stops imitating and leaves the imitated reality behind it_.

It is artistic just in so far as it does not imitate reality but changes the world, selects from it special features for new purposes, remodels the world and is through this truly creative.

To imitate the world is a mechanical process; to transform the world so that it becomes a thing of beauty is the purpose of art.

The highest art may be furthest removed from reality.
We have not even the right to say that this process of selection from reality means that we keep the beautiful elements of it and simply omit and eliminate the ugly ones.

This again is not in the least characteristic of art, however often the popular mind may couple this superficial idea with that other one, that art consists of imitation.