*A Mugwump is a person who remains aloof or independent, especially. from party politics. Origin was mid 19th century from Algonquian indians “Mugquomp”  meaning Great Chief. The Mugwumps were Republican political activists who bolted from the United States Republican Party by supporting Democratic candidate Grover Cleveland in the United States presidential election of 1884. They switched parties because they rejected the financial corruption associated with Republican candidate James G. Blaine. In a close election, the Mugwumps supposedly made the difference in New York state and swung the election to Cleveland. The jocular word mugwump, noted as early as 1832, is from Algonquian (Natick) mugquomp, "important person, kingpin" (from mugumquomp, "war leader")

I have chosen to apply the definition of mugwump to the politics surrounding the Fine Art world developed by improvising  an assortment of definitions and descriptors that remain fallacious for the most part. The art world is laden with the pointless “ist” Expressionist, Impressionist, Modernist, Fundamentalist, Pointillist, Surrealist, Cubist, The pundits, dealers and critics missed the point by boxing up a fine artists work as if they were wrapping up a burger and calling it a fundamentalist creation. Once a description is settled upon the artist who is most representative of the style will receive untold fame and fortune along with a few lesser artists. Of course this precludes the fine artists who are breaking new ground, who are exploring their course of creative excellence remaining essentially obscure because they and their art does not fit a certain criteria. A criteria that is developed by art critics, pundits, collectors, gallery owners, “esetera, esetera, esetera.”

“Abstract Expressionists value expression over perfection, vitality over finish, fluctuation over repose, the unknown over the known, the veiled over the clear, the individual over society and the inner over the outer.” –William C. Seitz, American Artist & Art Historian. This definition and insight given to us by Mr. Seitz is one of the few descriptions that actually expresses and defines the values that are uniquely Abstract Expressionist by pursuit, venture, undertaking and enterprise. We mugwumps subscribe to this definition as Abstract Expressionists and believe it defines our ideology clearly and concisely. We still see a need for a great deal of change in the visual arts market place. The artists, the historians and critics have boxed themselves in by following a business model that only sells to the wealthy and highly successful. It is critical that with the dawn of new technologies which has and will change forever how the fine artist will adapt to a very fluid market place based on scenarios that have as yet to be implemented. Do we control our pricing by keeping the print numbers low. Or do we aquess to 3rd party printers and leave the door open to the popularity scenario similar to record sales. Is this conducive to innovative environments that nurture creative experimentation and actualization. The time has come to begin taking our place in this exciting new world of creative choices. We can not as of yet fathom what is here on this precipice of expression and understanding.