FORMALISM
What is formalism?
Formalism, as used herein, refers to the form of the aesthetic effect that the various modalities of exprssion intend. For formalists, the goal is the perfection of the form of expression itself; painters improve their colour mixing, their brush strokes, etc.; actors improve their voice projection, their gesturing, etc.; writers improve their choice of words and phrases, their alliteration, etc. What guides such efforts is the attempt to better express the feelings that are supposed to be conveyed to the audience. In each case there is a "method" behind the development of "the feeling and the form" being expressed - the three archetypal forms outlined in this section are comedy (puncturing pomposity), irony (disclosing discrepancy), and tragedy (chronicling calamity) .
Audiences, or at least segments of them, are often just as committed to particular forms as are those doing the presentation. Amongst film goers, some like "action flicks", some like "love stories", some like "science fiction", and some like them all. In many artistic venues (theatres, auditoriums, etc.) there are often series of presentations that feature particular modalities that are favourites of particular audiences - classical music for some, rock music for others; contemporary paintings for some, the old masters for others; opera for some, operetta for others, etc. This is the context in which discussions have taken place about the merits of "high art" vs. "low art", or folk culture vs. international culture. In all likelihood, the findings of anthropology apply to aesthetics as well, namely that, just as each culture can express whatever its members need to communicate, so each aesthetic form can express whatever its artists and audiences intend. In other words, there is no intrinsically superior or inferior art mode - a Grandma Moses "primitive" style painting may be just as well expressed as a Georges Seurat "pointillism" style picture, but with each having a different form of putting paint on canvas and creating a scene.
How is formalism manifest?
Formalists strive for excellence in performance, and both their colleagues and their audiences recognize their successful efforts (and sometimes even their failures). Movies have festivals in various cities around the world, some open to all entries, others focusing exclusively on particular categories of films (national, regional, topical, etc.). Almost invariably either audiences or critics, or both, get an opportunity to vote on "best in class", or "best in festival". Many countries also have film academies, with annual awards voted on by the professionals in the country's film industry. Film critics also have their awards ceremonies, and their prizes based on their appraisal criteria. Most recently national audience awards have been created in which the entire public can vote on what they feel is best. Award winners gain an aura which translates into a desire amongst their colleagues to work with them on future projects. All awards of all such winners become part of subsequent career and product promotion - winning an Academy Award can significantly increase a winner's salary and a movie's box-office.
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