Postmodernism is the sealing of an impulse against application. It's a form of defence.

People don't want their statements tested: it might prove them wrong. Some people don't want their art tested either.

Academics have an obvious financial and social stake in propagating the preeminence of the word. Academic postmodernism blossoms thickly, generating many concepts. There is plenty of scope for theoretical research: everyone can keep their jobs. They must colonise art, using the word, and the wordy. Now, they have power and control.

Art, many people feel, is of the flesh and hackles . This is interesting, as many artists believe the same thing. These artists appeal to the senses and the skin.