The Easel

First There Was Zombie Formalism—Now There’s Zombie Figuration

For decades, art buyers have wanted art that is contemporary – especially abstract painting. The flood of art produced to meet this demand was of variable quality – hence the tag ‘zombie formalism’. Now figurative works are hot and the writer laments we are seeing ‘zombie figuration’. The artists are good but “they combine several unlike things and call it a picture … [no] sense of subtlety or nuance”. Rather depressing.