Leo Martínez
Norval Morrisseau was an Anishinaabe Aboriginal Canadian artist, born in 1931 or 1932 in Beardmore, Ontario. Morrisseau is best known for his paintings of mythical tableaux, with his narrative works of figures and animals painted in vibrant, fluorescent colours featuring thick black outlines. Morrisseau's work has been exhibited in various Canadian galleries, and he has facilitated educational workshops in remote communities in Ontario, encouraging Indigenous youth to conceptualise themselves as artists. Two of his most famous paintings are 'Ancestors Performing the Ritual of the Shaking Tent' (c. 1958-61) and 'Impressionist Thunderbirds' (1975).
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What You'll Learn
'Indian Jesus Christ' (1974)
Norval Morrisseau was an Anishinaabe Aboriginal Canadian artist, born in Beardmore, Ontario, on March 14, 1932. He is best known for his paintings of mythical tableaux, with his narrative works of figures and animals painted in vibrant, fluorescent colours featuring thick black outlines.
The painting's message and its representation in the film created controversy. The narrator of the documentary describes Morrisseau as someone seeking refuge in Christianity. However, given Morrisseau's experience of sexual abuse at a Catholic residential school as a boy, his comments and the painting's subject matter are not surprising. Before 'Indian Jesus Christ', Morrisseau had already illustrated several Indigenized Christian subjects, including representations of Christ (1966, 1972), the Virgin Mary (1962, 1973), and John the Baptist (1973). In 1966, he even painted himself as a haloed Jesus Christ carrying two medicine bags and wearing a Midewiwin shamanic hood and a cross in 'Portrait of the Artist as Jesus Christ'.
'Indian Jesus Christ' illustrates the complex colonial landscape in which Morrisseau lived and the ongoing struggle between Christian and Indigenous symbolism in his art. Morrisseau's work was influential, particularly among younger Ojibwe and Cree artists, and he is recognised as the founder of the Woodland (or Legend or Medicine painting) school of art.
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'Self-Portrait Devoured by Demons' (1964)
Norval Morrisseau was an Anishinaabe Aboriginal Canadian artist, born in Beardmore, Ontario, on March 14, 1932. He is best known for his paintings of mythical tableaux, with his narrative works of figures and animals painted in vibrant, fluorescent colours featuring thick black outlines.
'Self-Portrait Devoured by Demons' is an early but powerful example of Morrisseau's self-representational works. Created in 1964, two years after his gallery debut at the Pollock Gallery in Toronto, the painting depicts the artist enveloped by seven snakes. The snakes may be interpreted as a visual reference to the stranglehold that Morrisseau's Indigeneity, both cultural and political, had on him as an artist and as an Indigenous man living in Canada in the 1960s.
In Christian tradition, snakes are associated with evil, but in Morrisseau's cultural background, the Anishinaabe culture, snakes also have the power to heal the sick and are used in mide rites of the Midewiwin religion. The number seven is also significant in the Anishinaabe culture, representing spirituality, completeness, and redemption.
Morrisseau returned to this subject matter in paintings and drawings several times throughout his career, painting two other versions of himself entwined with snakes. These works reflect the struggles Morrisseau faced upon entering the mainstream art world.
'Self-Portrait Devoured by Demons' is a powerful and evocative work that provides insight into Morrisseau's experience as an emerging contemporary artist navigating the terrain of Canadian cultural politics. The painting is a testament to Morrisseau's unique artistic style and his influence on the Woodland school of artists.
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'Moose with Shaking Tent' (1966)
Norval Morrisseau was an Anishinaabe Aboriginal Canadian artist, who founded a Canadian-originated school of art called Woodland, Legend, or Medicine painting. Morrisseau's work was deeply rooted in native culture and myth, and he is best known for his paintings of mythical tableaux, featuring figures and animals in vibrant, fluorescent colours with thick black outlines.
One of Morrisseau's most famous paintings is 'Moose with Shaking Tent (1966)'. The painting depicts a ceremonial dwelling, known as a 'Shaking Tent', which is unique to the First Nations people of Canada. The structure consists of a pole frame, covered in animal skin, similar to a teepee. The 'Shaking Tent' ceremony is led by a medicine man or shaman, who enters the tent and falls into a trance, attempting to commune with spirits. During the ritual, the tent appears to shake violently, as if by some supernatural force, and strange lights flicker from the top of the structure.
The 'Shaking Tent' ceremony has been described by early explorers such as Champlain, who witnessed it while on the war path with his Algonquin allies. Champlain observed the Algonquin medicine man, or 'Pilotois', enter the tent, lie prostrate, and begin to shake one of the tent poles, claiming to invoke the devil. However, the Algonquin believed that the movement of the tent was caused by spirits.
Another description of the ceremony comes from Le Jeune, who observed the violent shaking of the tent for about three hours, with sparks of light issuing from the tent opening. The natives assured him that their medicine man had lain on the ground throughout the ritual, his soul having left his body to commune with spirits at the top of the tent.
The 'Moose with Shaking Tent' painting captures the mystical and supernatural aspects of this unique First Nations ceremony, showcasing Morrisseau's deep connection to his cultural heritage and his distinctive artistic style.
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'The Great Earth Mother' (1976)
Norval Morrisseau was an Anishinaabe Aboriginal Canadian artist, best known for his paintings of mythical tableaux. His narrative works of figures and animals were painted in vibrant, fluorescent colours featuring thick black outlines, reminiscent of stained glass windows or woodcuts.
One of his most famous paintings is 'The Great Earth Mother' from 1976. This painting, along with another of Morrisseau's works, 'Flock of Loons' (1975), was featured in Stanley Kubrick's iconic film, 'The Shining' (1980).
'The Great Earth Mother' is a reflection of Morrisseau's cultural heritage and beliefs. The Ojibway people, of whom Morrisseau was a member, believe the earth to be their mother and that they are the children of the earth. This painting is an expression of Morrisseau's relationship with the universe and his understanding of the world as a nurturing mother. The artist often painted himself connected to Mother Earth during the 1970s, exploring themes of interconnectedness and spirituality.
In 'The Great Earth Mother', Morrisseau uses a duality of colours to convey these concepts. The canvas is split between fields of yellow and light blue, with the yellow reflecting Eckankar teachings and the light blue holding spiritual significance for the artist. Black lines and vibrant colours further connect all living beings within the composition.
Morrisseau's work, including 'The Great Earth Mother', has had a lasting impact on the art world. He founded the Woodland school of art, also known as Legend or Medicine painting, and inspired younger generations of Ojibwe and Cree artists, such as Blake Debassige, Benjamin Chee Chee, and Leland Bell.
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'The Storyteller: The Artist and His Grandfather' (1978)
Norval Morrisseau, born in 1931 or 1932, was a Canadian Anishinaabe artist. He is considered the grandfather of contemporary Indigenous art in Canada. Morrisseau founded a Canadian-originated school of art called Woodland, Legend, or Medicine painting. His work was influential to younger Ojibwe and Cree artists, and he inspired three generations of artists.
The Storyteller: The Artist and His Grandfather is a diptych acrylic on canvas painting created by Morrisseau in 1978. The painting depicts the artist as a young boy on the right panel respectfully acknowledging his debt to his Anishinaabek grandfather, Moses Potan Nanakonagos, who appears regally on the left panel. Morrisseau was raised by his maternal grandparents, and his grandfather was a shaman who taught him about Anishinaabe culture and spirituality. The two panels of the painting connect but also diverge. Morrisseau uses formal elements such as colour, line, and composition to reinforce the work's meaning. The contrast between the cool blues and mauves used in the background of the left panel and the warm yellows and reds of the right panel visually juxtaposes the two figures and their world views.
Morrisseau created The Storyteller: The Artist and His Grandfather two years after his introduction to Eckankar teachings. The painting includes an Eckankar symbol, signalling his shift away from his Anishinaabe roots and toward the spiritual pursuit of Eckankar. The curator Greg Hill acknowledges the "HU" in the right panel as a symbol for an Eckankar chant "that brings one's soul closer to God." By compositionally positioning the elder storyteller as a stable pyramid, Morrisseau shows that his grandfather is grounded as a knowledge keeper. The boy receives spiritual information from his Mishomis but also from the form of a conflated bird/fish figure that swoops down diagonally from the opposite side of the frame.
The prevalence of fakes and forgeries of Morrisseau's work was a significant concern for the artist during his later years, and he actively sought to remove these from the marketplace. The Art Dealers Association of Canada (ADAC) enacted a rule that no certificates of authenticity would be issued by its members regarding any works by Morrisseau, and that the Norval Morrisseau Heritage Society is the sole authority for the authentication of his works.
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Frequently asked questions
Two of Norval Morrisseau's most famous paintings are 'Indian Jesus Christ' (1974) and 'Self-Portrait Devoured by Demons' (1964).
Norval Morrisseau painted 'Indian Jesus Christ' while incarcerated for public drunkenness in Kenora in 1973. It is considered one of his most noteworthy works.
'Self-Portrait Devoured by Demons' is believed to demonstrate the feelings of uncertainty Morrisseau felt as an emerging Indigenous artist in the contemporary art world.
Norval Morrisseau has many other notable paintings, including 'Man and Snake' (1964), 'Moose with Shaking Tent' (1966), 'Nesting Loon' (1966), 'Thunderbird' (1969), 'Kateri, Lily of the Mohawks' (1969), 'The Great Earth Mother' (1976), and 'Flock of Loons' (1975).
