image from Bau-Xi Gallery-- www.bau-xi.com Iconic Canadian artist Norval Morrisseau, the "Picasso of the North," has died at the age of 75 in a Toronto hospital. The Ojibwa painter helped originate the Anishnaabe School of Art.
CTV.ca News Staff
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He had struggled with Parkinson's disease for several years.
Morrisseau, who signed his works under the name of Miskwaabik Animiki ("Copper Thunderbird), was a member of the Order of Canada.
He inspired generations of First Nations artists and his pictographic style was imitated by many, and he actively sought to teach others about his craft.
"I've always wanted to be a role model," he once told the Toronto Star.
"I've always wanted to stay an Indian. I wanted the little kids to know that."
7 comments:
Sad to see artists (or anyone) die. I saw one of Norvals early works for sale at the fleet gallery for $5,000. It was monochromatic (brown) and the canvas was damaged was warped/damaged. Still kinda nice though. i much prefered the work of his I saw in Minneapolis. Bright colours.
I remember learning about him in junior high. Cool that I actually learned something important in school. either way, I think he was definately a trailblazer in many respects.
I once saw a painting of his at a pawn shop on Maryland, somewhere around there anyways.
I was super excited as I thought I would be able to buy it at a low cost since I assumed the owner of the fine establishment wouldn't know what he had.
But to no avail, he was well aware of what he had, and was charging accordingly!
Whatever the case, maverick, artist, pioneer, may he rest in peace.
Scary to think of how "the fine establishment" came to own it. I don't know of many pawn shop owners credited for their scrupples.
"...Norval, with his incredible ability with the formal problems of art (colour-design-space) and his commitment to the world of his people, the great Ojibway, give one the sense of power that only genius provides... It is sufficient to say that in the history of Canadian Painting, few have, and will remain giants. Norval shall." Jack Pollock
A member of The Royal Canadian Academy of Arts1 (R.C.A.) since 1970, Norval Morrisseau is the celebrated founder of the Woodland Indian School of Art (today called the Anishnaabe art), which revitalized Anishnaabe iconography, traditionally incised on rocks and Midewiwin birchbark scrolls. A self-taught painter, Norval Morrisseau created an innovative visual vocabulary which was initially criticized in the Native community for its disclosure of traditional spiritual knowledge, previously passed down orally. He acquired his knowledge from his grandfather, Moses ("Potan") Nanakonagos, who taught him about Midewiwin scrolls which provided him with a source of powerful images and meanings.
In 1962 Morrisseau was the first Aboriginal artist to have work shown in a contemporary art gallery (the Pollock Gallery in Toronto), where his bright, stylized images of Windigoes, spirit guides, and animals were so well received that he sold all the paintings at the openning night. His colourful, figurative images delineated with heavy black/blue formlines, were characteristically signed with the Cree syllabic spelling of Copper Thunderbird, the name medicine woman gave him - to overcome the sickness in youth.
Norval Morrisseau completed many commissions during his career, including the mural for the Indians of Canada Pavilion at Expo '67.
He was presented with the Order of Canada (O.C.) in 1978, and in 1980 honourary doctorates from McGill and McMaster Universities. In 1989 he was invited, as the only Canadian painter, to exibit at the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris to mark the bicentennial of the French Revolution. In 1995 he was awarded with the eagle feather (the highest honour awarded by the the Assembly of First Nations). In 1996 he was appointed Grand Shaman of the Ojibway and in 2005 he was elected to the ranks of The Royal Society of Canada2 (R.S.C.).
The National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa had in 2006 a major retrospective of his works: "Norval Morrisseau - Shaman Artist" - the first solo exhibition featuring a First Nations artist in its 126-year history.
Morrisseau, who had been living in Nanaimo, British Columbia, died at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto on December 4th, 2007.
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1 - The Royal Canadian Academy of Arts is one of Canada’s most enduring cultural institutions is comprised of members in over twenty visual arts disciplines from across Canada.
2 - The Royal Society of Canada (The Canadian Academy of the Sciences and Humanities) is the senior national body of distinguished Canadian scientists and scholars. Its primary objective is to promote learning and research in the arts and sciences. The Society consists of approximately 1700 Fellows: men and women from across the country who are selected by their peers for outstanding contributions to the natural and social sciences and in the humanities.
nice. thanks Macro.
Dan, Jenni and I saw a retrospective of his work in Thunder Bay last summer-- the same show that was at the Nat'l Gallery. It was amazing.
Today at brekkie, Dan asked a good question-- whether he profited at all from his art, or whether he had had enough "low" periods (which were well documented) that he had sold it all to people like the pawn shop owner. It's quite likely that paintings that he sold for a few hundred dollars made other people wealthy.
Nevertheless, as old Jack Pollock said, he was a true giant of Canadian art. Arguably the most important (whatever that means) visual artist our country has produced.
I saw his exibition in Calgary and my life changed forever.
How much I adore his art you may see it at: http://norvalmorrisseau.blogspot.com/
Thank you very much
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