I was definitely impressed by the fact that Russian formalism sought to defend literature and criticism against contamination by other disciplines and attempted to discover and formulate specifically literary laws and methodologies. I’m all ears for their cause of keeping craftsmanship alive, which is especially valid for today’s generation of architects. Architecture students these days, including myself, are guilty of losing this valuable quality at the hands of gadgets like the laser cutter. Formalist writings make you realize the importance of craft for an architect, and throw light on a topic that has become a huge concern for studio professors!
The mechanical aspect of Formalist theorists also struck a strong chord with me. Architecture in today’s world is definitely heading towards a more mechanized approach, and Formalism was quick on recognizing that trend. On another note, though I agree with the somewhat scientific method for studying poetic language, I cannot vouch for their exclusion of traditional psychological and cultural-historical approaches. I strongly feel that machine and culture have a strong bonding, and separating one from the other is a crime, and the Formalists did not have the right to announce their presence with such claims.
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