Philosophy
Although Christopher Mudgett's work is often seen through the lens of his diverse styles - the unifying motif of black, white and gray remains at the forefront. At times tender but always forceful, they are truly colors in their own right, and convey the direct mode of spontaneous and raw expression emblematic in his work.
By understanding Mudgett's fascination with black and white as a correlate of his obsessive interest in the duality of human existence, we are able to interpret his work as a metaphor for something deeper - a direct link to the violence of life, the struggle between good & evil and the opposing forces of nature inherent within us all.
"With painting, I am not afraid to go beyond the point of no return, even if that means destroying my work as a result. In art there is no room for the timid or the weak. It takes thick skin and naivety to walk directly in to the face of failure, each time knowing that chances of triumph are minimal, if any. Yet from that struggle comes the purest form of art, work that is just as profound to the viewer as it is to the artist who created it." - Mudgett