Friday, February 15, 2008

Childlike Simplicity I

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"The Shaman Artist
Wishes to express to us
Through The art form
That we are all
Like children
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Our childlike simplicity
With dignity and sweet humility
We view
One environment
and
Remind us of the Pure Spirit
Expressing itself upon ourselves."
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Norval Morrisseau, 1983
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* The painting in this posting: "Ogopogo", 11"x19", © 1980 Norval Morrisseau /Private Collection/

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

This painting is so similar to the one used on Bruce Cockburn's album cover, that the only major difference is that this one faces left and Cockburn's faces right. Is Morrisseau saying then that Ogopogo is a form of dragon? That would confirm the legends of the Interior Salish Indians. Are there any other Interior Salish/Okanagan themes in his work?
KHVH

Anonymous said...

In the life of all of the great prophets/spiritual leaders of every kind throughout history, we see a period where the prophet has a great vision which he fanatically tries to expound; where he tries to share his insight. This is followed by a period of disullisionment and cynicism, where the prophet understands that only a few are getting the message, and he begins to hold back and to focus his commentary on secondary issues. There are three excellent, detailed descriptions of this in the biblical accounts of Solomon, Isaiah and Jeremiah. As this applies to Morrisseau, we have the vision of the 1970s and the disillusionment of the 1990s. The spiritual law of attraction has recently been confirmed by quantum physics [awarded two Nobel prizes], and what it means with reference to Morrisseau is that those who experience the vision will be attracted to the 1970s work, and those who experience the cynicism will be attracted to the 1990s work, both groups lashing out at each other (as we see in this blog)failing to understand that they are both experiencing different stages in the life of the same prophet.
KHVH

Anonymous said...

At the age of nine, I became an honorary member of the Interior Salish at a ceremony in Oyama, B.C. This painting has a very special meaning for me. Will the painting find me now?
KHVH