David Mudgedell
Warlayirti Artists (Balgo)Growing up in Broome, David attended Saint Mary’s and State School where he excelled in Arts and sport. In his formative years, he learnt to paint by watching his grandmother renowned Warlayirti Artist, Mati Mudgedell (deceased). He was a keen listener and throughout his life payed attention to the elders telling ancestral stories about his traditional country.
Moving to Balgo in his mid-teens, David commenced painting in 2001 where he depicted his Tjukurrpa in a traditional realistic style. He didn’t paint his next painting until 2008 in a contemporized style using line and a minimal palette of two colors. In this new format, he experiments with both positive and negative space, while instilling his cultural heritage within the canvas.
In addition to his fine arts skills, David has begun to experiment within the field of new media – primarily film and photography. Taking the projects from their inception to the final product, he works as the script writer, camera person, director and editor. Working within the framework of corporation’s cultural documentation project The Motika Project, he has created several drama films and documentaries that bring forth and address modern day issues and concerns.
In the area of painting, his stylised contemporary form continues to tell of his culture, tradition and Tjukurrpa. David is the son of prominent Warlayirti Artist, Patsy Mudgedell.
