Norval Morrisseau: Best Canadian Painter Ever

I'm guessing that when the 2010 Vancouver/Whistler Winter Olympics finally roll around in two years there's going to be lots of references to Aboriginal culture. Lots of dancing, drumming, native dress, references to aboriginal creation myths during the opening ceremonies; some elders will be brought in to bless the proceedings, that kind of thing. You can already see them using an Inuksuk (those Inuit 'rock piles') as one of their official icons. And as it should be. I have no problem with it, in fact I'm all for it. Like Australians we post-centennial, post-modern Canadians like to reach back to the deep time or the dream time when it comes time to show our face to the world. How real we are. The indigenous art. What inspired up and out from the land before the blight of colonialism. See, "we" are as ancient as everybody else. As old as Europe.
I suppose its a kind of progress really, but a large dose of irony might still be necessary amidst all our mutual, terribly official self-congratulation.
Residential schools aside - check out Bill Reid on the twenty dollar bill. Bill Reid at the Vancouver airport. And my personal favourite, Bill Reid at the Canadian Embassy in Washington.

Many a Canadian white boy and girl has ventured forth into The Bush, however clumsily, trying to catch a whiff of the spirits. Going deep, getting back, oh yeah - getting real. Going back to the earth, because as the late, great Canadian poet Gwendolyn MacEwen once wrote: "No one invited us here.".

But I wonder if any "Canadian" (and yes, in the context of this post I do feel the need to put that word in quotation marks) ever saw this 'real spirit' behind the surface of what we now call Canada better and more vibrantly than the recently, dearly departed Norval Morrisseau. His paintings were literally churning from the inside out. Skeletal and skeletons. Often called "x-ray". People within animals and animals within people and animals within animals within people covered in flowers riding on a fish, and all of it singing in the most glorious colour. And so out there and dangerous, freaky, hallucinogenic, tripping the bounds of sanity, and erotic. And inspired by sacred, ancient aboriginal myth.

"Why am I alive?"he said in a 1991 interview with The Toronto Star. "œTo heal you guys who a™re more screwed up than I am. How can I heal you? With color. These are the colors you dreamt about one night." (from the NYT obituary)

I've adored his work for years, before I ever knew his name or even knew who the fuck he was. I bought my first Norval Morrisseau print a few years back at some poster sale in Hamilton and I remember riding the GO bus back into Toronto with the thing spread out on my lap for the whole trip, taking it in grinning ear to ear, just dazzled. And that was just a print. A poster. I tacked it to my kitchen wall and it made me happy every time I looked at it.

If anyone was the God Father of the Renaissance of Aboriginal Art and Culture that has ultimately made Canada a much humbler, more honest, better and yes more beautiful place, it had to be him. And at its heart the work was a profound movement for justice. That which cannot be denied.

Marc Chagall famously compared him to Picasso.

Keep your Group of Seven's, sure.

But Norval Morrisseau was the Best Canadian Painter Ever.

FURTHERMORE:

CBC Life and Times Documentary: A Seperate Reality: The Life and Times of Norval Morrisseau

Toronto Star Art Critic Peter Goddard:

National Gallery Exhibition Feb 3 - April 30, 2006:

The show documents Morrisseau's progression as an artist, charting the creative and spiritual journey that would contribute to his unique style of painting known as 'Woodland' or 'Legend' painting, now called Anishnaabe, of which he is the originator. In works that evoke ancient symbolic etchings of sacred birchbark scrolls and pictographic renderings of spiritual creatures, Morrisseau œreveals the souls of humans and animals through his unique '"œx-ray" style of imaging: Sinewy black œspirit lines emanate, surround, and link the figures. Skeletal elements and internal organs are visible within the figures delineated segments. Saturated with startling, often contrasting colours, such paintings appear to vibrate under the viewer's gaze.

Report on vanishing Canadian aboriginal languages (10 over the last 100 years)

Somebody's Norval Morrisseau blog

norvalmorrisseau.com

Comments

[Tima and Dayna]

I totally agree! ps - Dayna is on my sofa and we're wondering where the hell you are! Happy 2008. Get on FAcebook. xoxooxox

[buffy tapps]

I went to the McMichael a year or two ago to see NM's exhibition. I had been in severe pain for several months. I went to "bask in the colours." I was like a sponge.
I felt better for a week. I still had pain, but it was somehow better. There was love in the spaces. Thanks to Mr. Morrisseau. I always thought that his signature on the paintings looked like the english word "ABANDON."

[The Editors]

"Abandon". Perfect. I love it. There is love in those spaces buffy. Well said and I'm glad it made you feel better.

[Frank]

http://www.morrisseaubuyersbeware.com/

[Nullan]

Huh... Looks like you got some iffy paintings in your post! Check out the court stuff going on - apprantly the artist identified a bunch of counterfeits and the people selling them! I found it here: http://www.morrisseau.com

[Ugo Matulic]

Hi Reid,

Please check tomorrow's posting of Norval Morrisseau Blog at http://norvalmorrisseau.blogspot.com/ .

Thank you very much for kind words for the Great Canadian artist.

Sincerely,

Ugo Matulic a.k.a. Spirit Walker

[Norvalmorrisseaublog.blogspot.com]

The top image in this post is a feke - and the bottom right image is also a fake. The rest are authentic. Ugo Matulic is a spokesperson for a forgery ring. He personally owns hundreds of fake Norval Morrisseau paintings. Educate Yourself - at http://norvalmorrisseaublog.blogspot.com - The Authentic Norval Morrisseau Blog.

[Caverta]

Well.. the images are fine which gives the femininity of Canadian..

[video surveillance]

I support artists!!
Mostly because creativity is one of the many gifts and Talents I don't master ort quiete understand!!

It represents one of my important lacks I don't know how to deal with it.. because I love art.. What it makes me feel.. what it expresses!!

[Fire Detection]

I like the pictures and very interesting point of view i like the way you guys bring up the truth like that is very important to know this blog always bring information like that to all of us thanks.

[norv]

Here's an update about one of your commenters, Mr. Ugo Matulic:

http://genuinemorrisseau.blogspot.com/2011/04/ugo-matulic-sued-for-1m-over-blog.html

http://norvalmorrisseaublog.blogspot.com/2011/04/unauthorized-norval-morrisseau-blog.html

[pharmacy]

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