Norval Morrisseau

Grandfather of Canadian Native Artists

Norval Morrisseau was born in Ontario (1932-2007), He is the most famous native Canadian artist, known as the Picasso of the North and the founder of the Woodland School of Art. The combination of his traditions, religions and beliefs formed a special character in him, and furthermore he shows this traditional and religious combination through the colours and iconography in his paintings. Nowadays, his paintings are all over the country and they inspire artists, especially native artists. How did Norval Morrisseau become the most famous native Canadian artist? What is the philosophy behind his paintings? What was his style of using colours? Without a doubt, Norval Morrisseau or Copper Thunderbird is the most effective native artist in North America in the last century. His style of using clear lines and bright colour palettes are noticeable in all of his paintings, which as Don Robbin notes “give viewers an overall impression of peace, harmony and the existence of a unified lifeforce.” (Robertson, 2016) Norval has been influenced by his grandfather’s traditions who was a shaman, and this effect is obvious in his paintings.

Observations of the Astral World, 1994. Acrylic on canvas, 236 x 514 cm, National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa

The Spiritual Power of the Anishnabe

Morrisseau’s artworks not only represent the myths and legends of his people but also demonstrate the cultural and political conflict between native Canadian and European traditions. As a self-taught artist, the subjects of his earliest works were the myths and traditions of the Anishinaabe people, so he began with painting images that represent the spiritual guts - the source of power - of all creatures whether humans or animals. “My paintings are icons - that is to say, they are images which help focus on spiritual powers, generated by traditional beliefs and wisdom,” Norval said. Anishinaabe or Anishinaabe is the self designation of several Algonquian-speaking Native American tribes of Canada and the northern United States. Anishinaabe means “original people’’ or “true people,” and is commonly used by members of these tribes to refer to all of them, or even to all Native American people in general. Anishinaabe people are known for their expertise in traditional medicine. They are also famous for the “Fire Dance” a celebratory performance done around the fire. They have a well-respected and powerful spiritual leader who guides them through their daily rituals. Anishinaabe cosmology pictures a layered universe filled with “other-than-human” agents. The layers consist of the underwater realm, the land, and the sky. (Sawe, 2017)

Woodland Art

Copper Thunderbird founded the Woodlands School of Canadian art and was a prominent member of the “Indian Group of Seven”. Woodland Art is one of the three major art styles of contemporary Canadian artists. Two others are Inuit Art and West Coast Art, which are all based on ancient traditions and mythology. Norval Morrisseau is considered to be the founder of the Woodland School of Art. He was the first Ojibway to break the tribal rules of setting down Native legends in picture form and was originally criticized for disclosing traditional spiritual knowledge. The woodland style was developed as a direct result of the imagery that Morrisseau brought forth into the world in the early 1960s. Today’s Woodland art is actually sourced by traditional artistic representations used by prehistoric ancestors. Woodland Art is also known as a distinct style of Native art that blends traditional legends and myths with contemporary mediums. It explores the relationships between people, animals, and plants and is rich with spiritual imagery and symbolism. (Hill, 2015)

Norval’s paintings represent that in the modern world there had to be a new way of communicating the spiritual essence of the Anishnaabe world and their place in the universe. He wanted to restore cultural pride and spiritual awareness of the largely Catholicized members of his community. He believed that the spiritual renaissance could only happen if there was a way to bring the traditions forcefully into the present-day conversation. His vision of himself and his people created the possibility that native artists would have a major impact on the cultural renewal of Anishnaabe values. Morrisseau passed away in December of 2007 when he was 75 at the Toronto General Hospital after years of suffering from advanced Parkinson’s disease. “I want to make paintings full of colour, laughter, compassion and love. I want to make paintings that will make people happy, that will change the course of people’s lives. If I can do that, I can paint for a hundred years.” Copper Thunderbird said. (Downey, 2018)

Six Panels of Man Changing into Thunderbird at the Art Gallery of Ontario