Christopher Ganz

b. 1971, Belleville, IL

Christopher Ganz depicts his person in multiplicity with different selves representing dramatic personae. His likeness is both implicit and symbolic in the portrayal of the narrative; the drama involved in creating art and the artist’s role in society. The artist uses realism to invite the viewer into mysterious inner worlds that are layered reflections of the outer. Dehumanizing environments are imbued with art historical references as a critique of power structures. The artist is an Everyman who is at odds with society and himself. Visually, his work is a celebration of society’s dark undercurrents and its overlooked absurdities. Ganz uses charcoal and printmaking media as their tenebrous values add a fitting metaphor. The nuances of light and shadow seduce viewers into a world their better judgment would have them avoid. This provokes a sense of disquietude that causes viewers to assess our world through the austerity of a colorless, yet not humorless, light.