Round Table Discussion: Zombie Formalism - Influence vs Originality

PAFA's Alumni Gallery, in conjunction with Art in Process, hosts an open round table discussion on the rise of the term "Zombie Formalism" and its impact on new abstract art. 

Jerry Saltz provided a grim review of the rise of new abstraction and what some consider "Zombie Formalism” in his 2014 article, "Zombies on the Walls: Why Does So Much New Abstraction Look the Same?" This term, originating from writer and critic Walter Robinson in a 2014 article, “Flipping and the Rise of Zombie Formalism,” is used to raise concerns that, too often, new abstraction is little more than a regurgitation of the past.

Led by Jillian Schley, PAFA MFA student, and Tiffany Tate, PAFA alumna and Student Life coordinator at PAFA, participants will consider the convoluted problems addressed in these articles. Have MFA programs been churning out artists without real innovation since the 1960s? Does originality matter, and what is its value? What do real innovation and originality look like in 2015? How do artists retain the ability to redefine themselves and generate significant work without being strongly influenced by the market? Can an artist make work that is not derivative in some fashion? How do emerging and established artists react to the current market? Does the responsibility for these issues lie with collectors, dealers, curators, artists, or academia?

Additional discussion participants include PAFA alumna Anne Minich; PAFA alumnus Douglas Witmer; Mary Salvante, Director of the Gallery at Rowan; members of the new collaborative AUTOMAT;  PAFA alumna and Alumni Gallery manager Tish Ingersoll.

This conversation is fluid. Let's see where it leads!