Unit 2: Formalist Critics Irritate Me

Yes, these ostriches with their heads in the sand, irritate me no end. I find it impossible to separate art from the artist or the culture that created it. It amazes me that formalist critics ignore these important factors. Postmodern critics are the worst. There is a certain degree of arrogance in their approach. Their assumption is that even artists don't understand their own creations. As with glossolalia, they believe an interpreter is needed. This state of affairs isn't completely the critics' fault.

In the early 20th century, artists wrote earnest manifestos explaining what they were trying to do. Unfortunately, this practice was abandoned as artists took on the role of idiot savant. Artists became mute or provided misinformation. Formalist critics were the result.