Painting as a Formal Tool

Wow, Jon had the best comment about figuration in paintings in terms of the emotional response to painters like Kolwitz and Albright vs painters like Diebenkorn who use the figure for as a catalyst for formal arguemuents - in his words, as merely a "formal tool." In light of recent discussions spawned by recent critiques, the division between narrative art and formal, almost exclusively abstract in our community has become more apparent. The abstract artists seem to dismiss figurative work as purely narrative, and use the narrative qualities to deam it more of an illustration, less of a work of art. But I don't feel this claim is substantiated - just as Jon has pointed out, there are many artists, both working and dead, who have achieved very powerful paintings which are formally constructed and also carry a narrative. The arguement that one is "merely indulging in the frivolous delight of rendering" seems more adept to speak to abstract artists - couldn't one argue that dwelling only in the formal aspects of surface 'indulgent' and 'frivolous' delight?

Below is the painting, Catherine, i mentioned in class that seemed to be the most objected to in the crit.
Thoughts anyone?