As its success is shown through presence in museums, marketplaces, and the media, modern art has inspired a revolt against its most cherished standards and beliefs. In Revenge of the Philistines, Kramer argues that the new breed of trendy curators, artists, and critics have taken to celebrating the mediocre in art, as opposed to the "the high purposes and moral grandeur" modernist art is supposed to embody.

Giving a scathing account of the postmodern era while appraising the achievements of today's most important artists, this book celebrates those who, in the face of our age's pressures and ambiguities, offer a promise for the future of high art.