Understanding Art of Norval Morrisseau (Part I)

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"The Storyteller - The Artist and His Grandfather", 68"x37" ea. © Norval Morrisseau 1978 /Collection of "Indian and Northern Affairs", Gatineau, Quebec/

/The information posted below is based on personal experience(s) and exposure(s) to the art of Norval Morrisseau of the Blog Master/

The following are examples of inscriptions on Norval Morrisseau paintings/drawings:

1. Front: Signature in Cree Syllabics*; Back: Signature in English**+Year+©+Title;
2. Front: Signature in Cree Syllabics* ; Back: Signature in English**+Year+©+No Title;
3. Front: Signature in Cree Syllabics* +Year; Back: Signature in English**+Year+©+No Title;
4. Front: Signature in Cree Syllabics* ; Back-No inscription;
5. Front: Signature in Cree Syllabics* +Title; Back: Signature in English**+Year+©;
6. Front: Signature in Cree Syllabics* +Title+Year; Back: Signature in English**+Year+©;
7. Front: Signature in Cree Syllabics* + Signature in English**+Year+©+Title; Back: No inscription;
8. Front: No inscription; Back: Signature in English**+Year+©;
9. Front- Initials (NM)+Year; Back: No inscription;
10. Front: Signature in Cree Syllabics* ; Back-Initials (NM)+Year+©+Title;
11. Front: Signature in Cree Syllabics* ; Back: Signature in English**+Year+©+Title+Stylized image of a Thunderbird;
12. Front: Signature in Cree Syllabics* ; Back: Signature in English**+Year+©+No Title+Stylized image of a Thunderbird;
13. Front: Signature in Cree Syllabics* ; Back: Signature in English**+Year+No Title+Thumbprint;
14. Front: Signature in Cree Syllabics* ; Back: Signature in English**+Year+Title+Thumbprint;
15. Front: Signature in Cree Syllabics* +Thumbprint; Back: Signature in English**+Year+Title;
16. Front: Signature in Cree Syllabics* +Thumbprint; Back: Signature in English**+Year+No Title;
17. Front: Signature in Cree Syllabics* +©; Back: Signature in English**+Year+No Title;
18. Front: Signature in Cree Syllabics*; Back: Initial of the fist name+Last name (in English)**+Year+V+Title;
19. Front: Signature in Cree Syllabics*; Back: Initial of the first name+Last name (in English)**+Year+©+No Title;
20. Front: No signature in Cree Syllabics*+©; Back: Signature in English**+Year+No Title; ETC…

*-“Copper Thunderbird
**-“Norval Morrisseau”

All of the examples listed above are just “some of the ways” that Norval Morrisseu would sign his art. He would sign his full name in English on the back of the canvas and/or paper but sometimes he would sign an abbreviated version depending on how close he was to the painting and/or drawing's edge. Many times he would not sign or write anything on the back of the piece of art. Glenbow Museum in Calgary has 96 original Norval Morrisseau pieces and more than 90% of them are not signed, dated or titled on the reverse. He would usually sign the front Signature in Cree Syllabics+ Signature in English+Year+©+Title or No Title at all in case of a very large canvases but again he would do that for the average size paintings also. He would also sign diptych paintings by signing only one canvas on the front in Cree syllabics and sometimes he would sign them both instead. Norval Morrisseau would title, date and sign, in both Cree syllabics and English on the faces of each panel and multiple canvas sets.

Titles are executed in this way e.g. “ - SHAMAN WITH THUNDERBIRD - “. As you can see he would draw a dash before and after the title. These are some of the tell-tale signs of original paintings of Norval Morrisseau. Sometimes he would paint the copyright symbol © and next to it he would encircle the year of production. Also, he would sign in Cree syllabics his signature on the face of the painting in all possible scenarios eg. horizontally, vertically and, quite commonly painted to follow the curves of the elements in the painting and/or drawing. Sometimes he would sign his Cree syllabic signature in three rows and sometimes he would encircle his signature that has been written in the same fashion. In the 1960's and 1970's he would sign his art as per the above examples mostly with brush while in the 1980's he signed and titled many art pieces in pencil.

He would date the paintings and/or drawings e.g. '70 (for painted in 1970) which applies to most of the art pieces from 1950's, 1960's and 1970's. In 1980's and 1990's he would mostly date his works e.g. '88 (for painted 1988). Also he would not inscribe anything on the back with Cree syllabics but would signature the piece on the front only.

*it is also worth mentioning that he did many paintings using blue colour rather than the most commonly used black colour for the outlines of his paintings.

Please note that in one of the most important of the publicly known pieces of art painted by Norval Morrisseau: "The Storyteller - The Artist and His Grandfather, 1978 (click on image above to enlarge), he did not paint the third syllabic of his signature in Cree. This is a perfect example that his syllabic signature does not need to be complete as long as the "other elements" in the painting are to be found present.

For the inscription on the back of the painting he would use a paint brush, ballpoint pen, marker, pencil...etc. If the paintings on canvas and/or paper were from a series of paintings that represented one piece of art Norval Morrisseau would mark it in this fashion 1-4, 2-4, 3-4, 4-4. At times he would label them as 1 OF 2, 2 OF 2. If the painting was from a series of the same theme he would mark on the back of the canvas and/or paper in Roman numerals “IV” which in this case represented painting No.4 from the series. At times he would take several canvases with different sizes and paint similar themes executed in different ways with the same or different colour palette. In most cases for sets on paper he would paint the front in syllabics and he would also number it in one of the bottom corners 1-7, 2-7, 3-7... and in the other corner he would sign his signature in English and date it. Both of these inscriptions would be in pencil and sometimes he would sign the back in English,with a title+year with a paint brush dipped only once leaving a tell tale sign of trailing on the letters.The signature would show up obscure and faint at different points in the letters as the brush tip would run out of paint.
If you have a Norval Morrisseau painting and it's title is misspelled know that Norval Morrisseau was not a perfect speller the English language - he misspelled MANY titles of his paintings and drawings.

His art is speaking to you. It is amazing how powerful his paintings emanate energy. The image on the front of the canvas is a 'signature' to his style. Morrisseau's signature style of painting blends harmonic colour combinations along with different shapes and sizes. Creating a soothing balance of medicinal colour as seen in the canvas of nature throughout his creations.

Paintings from late 1950’s and early 1960’s were executed by use of oils, tempera, ink, ball-point pen...etc. Acrylics were used upon Jack Pollock (in 1962), his first agent, introduced him to that medium which he liked very much due to the fact that acrylics were drying faster than oils. Morrisseau did not always use “true acrylics" - he would mix his colours with paints of different quality. If you intend to clean any original Norval Morrisseau painting that you have in your collection - DO NOT do it yourself. Always consult a professional with extensive experience in painting restoration. If you have canvas that is not stretched do so at an experienced frame shop by asking if they have experience in stretching Norval Morrisseau paintings due to the fact that Morrisseau did not always use the best quality canvas and paint for his works of art. The canvas he used in the 1980's were in most of the cases better in quality than those from his earlier periods.

Norval Morrisseau painted on different mediums such as: canvas, paper, drift wood, plywood, animal hide, masonite, particle board, wall paneling, glass, kraft paper, stone, slate, wood board...etc. Also he painted on: fridges, beds, lamp shades, pop cans, glass bottles, ironing boards, maple buckets, doors, walls, ladders, cars, framed glass pictures, coats, tables, chairs, grocery paper bags, and much more.

It is difficult to say how many pieces of art Norval Morrisseau had painted or drawn in all his career. In my opinion he had painted more pieces of art than stated in "The Ottawa Citizen" article "Morrisseau experts hunt for up to 10,000 pieces", written by Paul Gessell - January 02, 2007. My guess would be at least twice or even three times that amount which would make him the most prolific artist in art history***, but to prove that would not be an easy task.

*** - According to the Guinness Books of records the most prolific artist is Pablo Picasso who produced about 13,500 paintings/designs in his career.

Note: All of the information stated above will be illustrated with examples in one of the future posts of this Blog.

TO BE CONTINUED…

Spirit Walker

/The painting in this posting is an authentic work of © Norval Morrisseau. Images of this pair of canvases titled "The Storyteller - The Artist and His Grandfather (1978) can be found on page 151 in "The Art of Norval Morrisseau" /Sinclair, Lister, Jack Pollock, and Norval Morrisseau/ -Toronto, Ontario: Methuen, 1979./

Blog Master's Public Address I

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"Untitled", 14"x30", © 1960 Norval Morrisseau /Private Collection/

I would like to thank you all for your comments posted on this "NORVAL MORRISSEAU BLOG". It is proving to be an exciting success as I have always anticipated it would be. The subject is dynamic and evolving to say the least. Allow me to introduce myself with a name that I have chosen - Spirit Walker.

The subject of my passion is Norval Morrisseau's art. He is one of the very few living artists who started a completely new art movement: the Woodland or Medicine School of Art, now called the Anishnaabe School of Art, and has been dubbed the Father of Canadian Aboriginal Art. I believe as well as many others do that we are witnessing the rise of a Star in the World of Art with Universal proportions. My extensive knowledge and research along with my personal collection which I have amassed over the years are what I draw my knowledge base from. It seems like almost every day I find a new and fantastical correlation within this man's work. It is never ending. The scope and depth of Morrisseau's visions throughout his lifetime have left an impact on my soul that I cannot describe in words. "Perhaps I should paint as Morrisseau did to express feelings otherwise would not be explicable within my vocabulary?" His Art Work is my passion.

Challenge keeps all of us going and is the spice of life. Norval Morrisseau has given us plenty to flavour our appetites. He uses tenderness and harsh realities associated with purifying our souls painted as images on canvas. In the end it is our choice to fall or RISE! Norval Morrisseau's works of Art have been challenged on many levels by different people. The issue of authenticity of his works can only be drawn out of secrecy by revealing the necessary knowledge for the seasoned collector and the novice wishing to swim in this Golden Ocean which is before us by exposing that which has been kept secret. The novice needs to know the precious tidbits of information at his or her disposal to make a sound and wise decision on purchasing Woodland Art created by the Master...Norval Morrisseau. I will desiminate whatever knowledge I have in this regard and keep a sensitive eye on any new developments as they will arise. Should I stray, please feel free to comment so as to put me on the right path again. I Thank you.

This information will of course prove to be invaluable to all collectors now and in the future. I am an authority in my own right. Many people have asked for my opinion and value my judgement which is not backed up by monetary gain but for the truth to be known and recorded for posterity. So let it be written so let it be done. All topics are open for discussion. I thank the Creator for allowing me this venue. Let us not disappoint but release the store house of Spiritual knowledge left to us painted on the canvas of Norval Morrisseau's legacy. This is my Constitution and Manifesto. Let us begin...

Spirit Walker

/The painting in this posting shows Medicine men receiving Spiritual powers from the Sacred Serpent in the presence of the Great Mystery (Kitchi Manitou) who's giving protection in all Four directions to all living beings upon Mother Earth./

Words of Genius IV

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"Among the Indians, as among other nations, some people are born artists, but most are not. I am a born artist. I have as much interest in my people as any anthropologist, and I have studied our culture and lore. My aim is to reassemble the pieces of a once proud culture, and to show the dignity and bravery of my people.”

Norval Morrisseau
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Norval Morrisseau painting at the Senate of Canada

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"Circle of Four" /Acrylic on canvas, 1978/

Norval Morrisseau, whose Ojibway name is Osa’wa Piko’pinesi or “Copper Thunderbird,” is one of Canada’s best-known Aboriginal painters. Regarded as a cultural trailblazer, his work awoke Canadians to the importance of Aboriginal painting. Following his example, other Aboriginal artists began exploring their unique art forms. Morrisseau is recognized as the father of the “Woodland” school. Morrisseau defines himself as a shaman - “one who knows” - an interpreter of the mythology and rituals of his people.

His work "Circle of Four" refers to the circle as a symbol of the world and its forces. The number four is sacred for Aboriginal peoples, recalling the four ages in life, the four directions and the four seasons. It also evokes the intimate union among the inseparable elements of the harmonious universe - water, air, earth and fire - of which Aboriginal peoples are the servants and guardians.

Source: The Parliament of Canada Web Site; Painting located at the Senate
/The painting in this posting is an authentic work of © Norval Morrisseau/

Norval Morrisseau print in Stanley Kubrick's film (Part II)

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This is another print by Norval Morrisseau titled "Flock of Loons" that appeared in Stanley Kubrick's film "The Shining" (1980). The film's source material is from science-fiction/horror author Stephen King's 1977 best-selling novel. As in many of his films, director Kubrick explores the dimensions of the genre to create the ultimate horror film of a man going mad, aspiring writer Jack Torrance (Nicholson), while serving as an off-season caretaker of an isolated, snowbound resort (the Overlook) with his family: wife Wendy (Shelley Duvall) and son Danny (Danny Lloyd).

* If you purchase "The Shining" DVD, go to the Scene No. 35 ("Halloran killed") when Jack Torrance (Nicholson) is about to exit out of "the Overlook" holding axe in his hands. You will see the print, framed on the wall.


* The print in this posting is an authentic work of © Norval Morrisseau

Norval Morrisseau & Harriet Kakegamic

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Norval Morrisseau and Harriet (Kakegamic), Beardmore, Ontario - 1962

/Click on image to Enlarge/

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In 1957 Morrisseau married Harriet Kakegamic (sister of Henry, Joshim and Goyce Kakegamic) who was from Sandy Lake Reserve northeast of Red Lake. They met in Fort William (now Thunder Bay) at the tuberculosis sanatorium while Morrisseau was receiving treatment. They arrived in Cochenour, Ontario in 1959 to work in the Cochenour-Willans gold mine. He was tall, slim and soft-spoken. His job in the mill was as a “flotation operator,” watching and adjusting a large vat of liquid gold ore and chemicals. This two-year span has been referred to as the longest period of steady employment Morrisseau experienced. Fellow employees recall Morrisseau painting during slack times on the job. The art, sometimes on mill filter paper, was left rolled in a corner of the mill when he had to attend to the flotation mix. Although lacking any formal art instruction, he had no inhibitions about how to paint. His early materials included birchbark, hide, plywood, building paper, fabric scraps - anything that was at hand. There was resistance to his art because he was breaking a taboo by depicting beliefs and traditions of the Ojibway culture but Morrisseau believed this task had been given to him in a vision and was sanctioned by his grandfather.

Harriet inspired him in his work and taught him Cree syllabics, a form of writing used commonly in the North and reflected in Morrisseau's own signature of his works. Teachings of his grandfather Potan, joined with a series of dreams and visions, became the muses that Morrisseau said called him to be an artist. "My paintings are icons, that is to say, they are images which help focus on spiritual powers, generated by traditional belief and vision." Upon recovery, Morrisseau traveled to visit many traditional Ojibway villages and petroglyph sites, to nourish his artistic development and put it on canvas.

Over the next decade there would be exhilarating peaks of fame and monetary reward followed by valleys of impoverishment and neglect of his family. In the midst of this, some saw evidence of a deep affection between husband and wife. Others saw a very unequal relationship which allowed one partner to pursue his destiny and the other to attempt to raise six children with minimal support. The children were born from 1957-1975 as the family moved between Beardmore, Cochenour, Sandy Lake, McKenzie Island and Red Lake. Morrisseau reportedly enjoyed children and one large portrait of his daughter, Victoria, with his first grandson (click HERE), conveys pride and love. An interesting paradox is that in his art children are shown richly-dressed with looks of wonder and contentment, while his own children experienced neglect and poverty.

* Today, Norval Morrisseau has 7 children by direct bloodline, 18 Grandchildren and 13 Great Grandchildren.

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"Legends of my people The Great Ojibway"

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In 1962, Norval Morrisseau met a Toronto artist-gallery owner Jack Pollock, who was teaching painting in northern Ontario. Pollock was so impressed with Morrisseau's paintings that he put on a solo exhibition of Morrisseau's work at his Toronto gallery. The show was an astonishing success; all the paintings sold out in one day.

This led to jealousy among tribal members who criticized Norval Morrisseau for revealing the tribe's legends and beliefs in the paintings. Since the paintings speak to the emotions but not in words, they may be based on legends and myths, but don't actually narrate anything.

Probably the cricitism stemmed mostly from Morrisseau's book "Legends of My People The Great Ojibway", edited by Selwyn Dewdeney - an art aducator and noted expert on Ojibway art and anthropology (Toronto, Ryerson Press, 1965). Morrisseau defended himself, saying he wanted to restore cultural pride to the largely catholicized people. Indeed, the visual vocabulary he developed has spoken powerfully to artistically inclined Ahishnaabe all over northern Ontario.

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* "Legends of My People The Great Ojibway" - Illustrated and told by Norval Morriseau, Edited by Selwyn Dewdney /© The Ryerson Press, 1965; ISBN: 0-7700-0110-6/

Lines of Transformation by Norval Morrisseau/Copper Thunderbird

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Drawing Papers 19
Draw & Tell: Lines of Transformation by Norval Morrisseau/Copper Thunderbird
The Drawing Center, February 24 – April 7, 2001

20 pages, 15 illustrations, checklist, essay by Catherine de Zegher, and essay by Gerald McMaster.

This exhibition of drawings by First Nations artist Norval Morrisseau (Anishnaabe, b. 1932) consisted of over fifty visionary works made between 1972 and 1973, while the artist was in prison. The exhibition featured a series of drawings that depict highly charged images based on Morriseau's personal transformation of pictographic traditions. Norval Morriseau/Copper Thunderbird: Draw and Tell: Lines of Transformation was co-curated by Catherine de Zegher and Gerald McMaster.

To place an order or for questions regarding an order, please email bookstore@drawingcenter.org or call 212-219-2166 x110.

"Copper Thunderbird"

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A play about Norval Morrisseau premiered in Ottawa in May 2007. The production, directed by NAC English Theatre artistic director Peter Hinton from a script by Vancouver Métis playwright Marie Clements, uses a cast of nine performers - three of them playing Morrisseau - to tell the painter’s roller-coaster life story. Employing large doses of the surreal and the absurd, Clements has set out to capture some of the many facets of the artist once christened (by the French press, no less) “the Picasso of the North.” “I could probably write 10 more plays about Norval Morrisseau,” the gentle-voiced writer admits in a telephone interview from Ottawa, where she has been watching rehearsals. “His life as an artist and a human being is extraordinary in its scale and its passion.” In her years of researching and writing the play, Clements has come across countless anecdotes about the artist. “It’s like he’s been everywhere,” she says. “You say that you’re doing a piece on Norval Morrisseau and everybody has a story about him, whether it was in Thunder Bay or Winnipeg, or Paris or L.A. or Vancouver. And he was very different things to different people.” Befitting his elusive nature, details of Morrisseau’s birth date and place are uncertain, but most sources have settled on 1932, at or near the Sand Point Reserve north of Thunder Bay, Ont. A self-taught artist, he quit school after Grade 4 and worked as a miner, until a meeting with young Toronto art dealer Jack Pollock led to his breakthrough solo exhibition at Pollock’s gallery in 1962. Morrisseau’s unique style, adapted from traditional Anishinabe pictographs and designs, came to be dubbed the Woodland School of painting and inspired scores of other First Nations artists.

Source: "Soaring Artist" - Copper Thunderbird paints the vivid life of Norval Morrisseau by Martin Morrow - CBC

One of the Great Morrisseau paintings...

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... sold a few years ago on E-bay by the same art dealer from Winnipeg that sold those originals that Bryant Ross, the director of COGHLAN ART Studio & Gallery, labelled as fakes. You may notice artistic execution - style that cannot be easily duplicated. Quite contrary, Mr. Richard Baker, a Toronto lawyer and longtime Morrisseau associate who is the spokesman of the Norval Morrisseau Heritage Society (NMHS) says that:
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"Norval's work is fairly easy to copy. If you attempted to paint a Morrisseau, you could probably do a pretty good job, just copying it completely." In the same newspaper article Mr. Baker states: "The market has especially been flooded with fakes in the past five years. Some of the forgeries are sold through galleries and some on the Internet through E-Bay and other websites."... Also, Mr. Baker said he was not aware of action by police, or other authorities, to stop the production of fake Morrisseaus. It seems that the artist, or his representatives, must take the lead in fighting the problem."
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*Mr. Baker's statements, posted in "The Ottawa Citizen" article "Morrisseau experts hunt for up to 10,000 pieces", written by Paul Gessell - January 02, 2007

*I would like to ask Mr. Baker to list the galleries and websites that sell fake Morrisseau paintings if he truly believes that's been happening. I would also ask him to provide proofs of his statements in that matter. Also, he is stating that he was not aware of action by police, or other authorities, to stop the production of fake Morrisseaus. I doubt that Norval Morrisseau representatives will fight the problem due to the fact that "the large number of Morrisseau fakes in circulation", as stated in the article, is just a figment of their imagination in order to scare the public. Sooner or later the truth will come to the surface...

* The painting in this posting: "Windigo Encounters Black Robe", 31"x43", © 1979 Norval Morrisseau /Private Collection/

Another painting that was for sale...

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..on the COGHLAN ART Studio & Gallery website a few years ago and at later date labelled as fake. I had contacted Mr. Bryant Ross who is the gallery director of Coghlan Art Studio/Gallery upon reading on his website the following statement: "We are looking for authentic Morrisseau paintings to add to our inventory. If you have one, and are thinking about selling it, contact us about our generous buying and consignment program".
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* Upon lengthy conversation about digital images of the several paintings in my collection, he had told me that "he is interested in authentic paintings only" refering to the photographs of the original works of Norval Morrisseau. After that statement we did not have much to talk about. From my point of view it was quite obvious that he was just trying to do what was in Gabe Vadas' interest - to scare the public believeing that they were the only ones that can provide "authentic" works of Norval Morrisseau. If I were Mr. Ross I would be ashamed at showing my face next to the most important and Original Canadian painter of our times on a photograph which he has posted on his website. How can someone who wants to protect Norval Morrisseau's Legacy, falsely label Originals to be fakes?I just hope that justice prevails soon...
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/The painting in this posting is an authentic work of © Norval Morrisseau/

Painting that was for sale...

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... on the COGHLAN ART Studio & Gallery website a few years ago and at later date labelled as fake. At my recent sale on E-bay I included a couple of images of the paintings, as a reference of the authentic work of Norval Morrisseau - one of those paintings you can see attached to this Blog posting (click on image to enlarge). I confronted the gallery director by asking him indirectly how can he make such statements that paintings for sale on E-bay are fakes, and this is what he replied to me:

"Hi, my name is Bryant Ross and I am the director of Coghlan Art Studio and Gallery. I am the individual you refer to. My warning on E-bay is not meant to scare anyone. It is meant to inform the public about the status of the Morrisseau paintings on E-bay. I am doing this at the request of the artist himself. Out of all the paintings that I have displayed on my web site you had no trouble picking out the 2 fakes. I bought these 2 paintings from a dealer from Winnipeg. When Morrisseau told me that they were not his I realized that I had been ripped off and I took them off the market. I have since donated them at my own expense to the Norval Morrisseau Heritage Society to use as example of the fake paintings. It has never been stated that all the galleries in Canada have fake paintings. But there are many fakes in the marketplace. You seem to think that the motivation in this is money. The fact is that Norval Morrisseau does not want his legacy to include these fake paintings."

*From my point of view it appears that Mr. Ross is just an instrument in Gabe Vadas' hands, and whatever Vadas says, Ross does. Also, Mr. Ross says that his motivation is not money. How is it that prints on canvas that are for sale in the Museum of American Indian in Manhattan (New York City), for the Norval Morrisseau exhibition "Shaman Artist", are the same ones that he is selling for Gabe Vadas' ("Bear Walker Society" & "Herb Gatherer") and nobody else has the right to sell any other works (prints and/or originals) of Norval Morrisseau after knowing that many other people own the copyright to Norval Morrisseau's paintings? It's quite obvious that for Mr. Ross & Mr. Vadas it is all about money. I am just curious how long this charade will last. Norval Morrisseau definitely deserves better...

/The painting in this posting is an authentic work of © Norval Morrisseau/

Coat of Arms of the Canadian Museum of Civilization

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Arms: Paly Argent and Azure per fess paly wavy counterchanged overall a representation of the astrolabe of Samuel de Champlain Or.
Crest: A wreath Argent and Azure rising out of a Coronet of Maple Leaves Argent a representation of a copper displaying the Beaver crest of Chief Ninstints of the Haida people framed with a corona of eagle feathers all Proper.
Motto: Multae culturae una patria
Supporters: Dexter a representation of the Inuit underwater spirit Sedna her finger joints producing fish styled by Manasie Akpaliapik; Sinister a representation of the Algonquian Mishipeshu by the name Asticou styled by Norval Morrisseau, both spirits diving into a whirlpool all Proper.
© Canadian Museum of Civilization Corporation

Norval Morrisseau Heritage Society (NMHS)

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Norval Morrisseau Heritage Society(NMHS) was formed in October 2005 at the request of the artist to begin work on a catalogue raisonné in order to deal with the growing number of paintings misattributed to Morrisseau."

The Norval Morrisseau Heritage Society issued the following public warning: "The NMHS is aware that there are many works available for sale to the public that are falsely attributed to Norval Morrisseau. When buying a work of art, ask the art dealer or art gallery about the origin and source of the work. Did it come from the artist directly, or from some other source? Inquiries about the work's provenance or history are advisable, as it is to become familiar with the artist's work and pricing in other galleries, auctions and exhibitions."

* Are these statements true and are they truly trying to preserve Norval Morrisseau Legacy or are they just instruments in hands of Gabe Vadas and Kinsman Robinson Galleries? I believe in the latter statement...
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/The painting in this posting is an authentic work of © Norval Morrisseau. Image of this painting titled "Ojibway Shaman Figure" (1978) can be found on page 118 in "The Art of Norval Morrisseau" /Sinclair, Lister, Jack Pollock, and Norval Morrisseau/ -Toronto, Ontario: Methuen, 1979./

National Aboriginal Achievement Awards

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2008 LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

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Norval Morrisseau-Ojibway, Red Rock Band, Nipigon, Ontario is a shaman and self taught painter who painted for almost 50 years, gaining a worldwide reputation as one of Canada’s most original Master Artists. His enormous success and achievement as an artist has motivated a whole generation of Native artists and inspired by rock petroglyphs and Midewiwin birchbark scrolls, he created what has become the Woodland or Anishnaabe School of Art. He was recognized by the Royal Canadian Academy of Art in 1970, and in 1978 became a member of the Order of Canada.

- Source: NATIONAL ABORIGINAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS
/Photo taken at an exhibition of the Art of Norval Morrisseau-Thunder Bay 2002/

Selwyn Dewdney about Norval Morrisseau

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"How was it possible for this youth to reach back to the old feelings, to conceive the images that would bear the unmistakable stamp of his people? How could this firm pride originate in a community relegated to the status of third class citizens, constantly reminded of this status and defeated by it? What was there about this lad that earned for him in a medicine woman's dream the combined names of a powerful spirit and the metal traditionally sacred to the Lake Superior Ojibway - Copper Thunderbird?"
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Selwyn Dewdney (1909 - 1979) - Art aducator and noted expert on Ojibway art and anthropology. Edited Norval Morrisseau's book "Legends of My People, The Great Ojibway" / Toronto, Ryerson Press, 1965/
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Pearl McCarthy about Norval Morrisseau

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"Morrisseau's genius for unifying or braking space in his designs is astonishing, as sureness of line. It cannot be classed as primitive art, because both the ideas and the expression evince cultivated thought. As this mysticism has never been recorded he is breaking new ground."
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Pearl McCarthy, The Globe and Mail, 1962-
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Words of Genius III

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"Today we wonder and are distracted by the white man's ways that we cannot cope with. Those of us who are lucky have made it. But a lot of us are still behind, by trying to live like our white brothers and their religion, ignoring our great ancestors' culture. If one has an intelligent mind we could live side by side with our ancient ways and same time get us where we should be."

Norval Morrisseau
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*The painting in this posting is an authentic work of © Norval Morrisseau

The Edwards Collection (Part I)

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Excerpts from the introduction of the book "My Year With Norval Morrisseau" (1987-1988) [ISBN: 978-0-9783627-0-6]:

... In 1987, what was then called an "Indian Arts and Crafts Show" was held at Hotel Vancouver. Entering the exhibit, I was immediately drawn towards an array of spectacular images. Vibrant colors bounced over the canvases. In the midst of these bold strokes and splashes of paint was another image. Slumped in a chair behind a table, sat a man, quiet and alone.

This, I was told, was artist Norval Morrisseau: unknown to me, but internationally recognized for his talent at Expo 1967, subject of a National Film Board documentary and awarded the prestigious Order of Canada in 1978. Already captivated by his work and now intrigued by his persona, I knew that I would not leave this exhibition without owning one of his beautiful canvases.

Selection of one from among so many choices was difficult. While writing a check I told him where I worked. To my surprise, Norval told me that he was familiar with the store and that he had known my father, who in his own words "had shown him a great kindness". He had been the recipient of my father's generosity! Touched, I assured him that now I could be found in that same shop, should he ever need anything again...

... Throughout the year that followed this fateful encounter. Norval was a regular visitor at my shop. Usually he had art to sell. I wrote many more checks as the months passed by, always excited by his images, whic began to fill and overfill my office walls.

And so began my passion for the work of Norval Morrisseau and the acquisition of the art represented here. Named for the man and the spirit in which this time began, these paintings are known as the Edwards Collection.

Bonnie Edwards Kagna MacFarlane
© London Galleries 2007

To order your copy e-mail: macfoo@telus.net
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*The acrylic painting in this post is an original artwork of Norval Morrisseau (book cover): "The Great Eagle", 48"x40", (c. 1987), © Bonnie Edwards Kagna MacFarlane in accordance with an agreement with Norval Morrisseau, June 11, 1988 /The Edwards Collection/

Picasso, Chagall and Morrisseau

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Pablo Picasso, Marc Chagall and Norval Morrisseau met in 1969 in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, France at Gallerie Saint-Paul while having concurrently organized art exhibitions of their works. Pablo Picasso and Mark Chagall would come to visit Norval's exhibition admiring his art. They both loved Norval's use of colour and designs of his paintings.
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*With great respect Pablo Picasso once stated that if he would ever hire anyone to mix his colours that he would have chosen Norval Morrisseau.
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* Norval Morrisseau was dubbed "Picasso of the North" by the French press.
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~ The painting in this posting is an authentic work of © Norval Morrisseau

Norval Morrisseau print in Stanley Kubrick's film (Part I)

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This print by Norval Morrisseau titled "The Great Mother" appeared in Stanley Kubrick's film "The Shining" (1980). The film's source material is from science-fiction/horror author Stephen King's 1977 best-selling novel.

As in many of his films, director Kubrick explores the dimensions of the genre to create the ultimate horror film of a man going mad, aspiring writer Jack Torrance (Nicholson), while serving as an off-season caretaker of an isolated, snowbound resort (the Overlook) with his family: wife Wendy (Shelley Duvall) and son Danny (Danny Lloyd).

* If you purchase "The Shining" DVD, go to the Scene No.2 ("The interview") when Jack Torrance (Nicholson) is about to enter the office of the resort's manager for an interview. You will see the print, framed on the wall, at the left side of the door.


*The print in this posting is an authentic work of © Norval Morrisseau

Norval Morrisseau a.k.a. Copper Thunderbird

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© Terry Lusty

Norval Morrisseau, R.C.A., C.M., LL.D., D.Litt., R.S.C.

(March 14th, 1931 - December 4th, 2007)

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A member of The Royal Canadian Academy of Arts (R.C.A.) since 1970, Norval Morrisseau is the most original and important artist that Canada has produced. He 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. His visions come to life on birch bark, paper and canvas. His powerful way of using images and colours effect the viewers in ways that are not immediately apparent...

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 Windigos, spirit guides, and animals were so well received that he sold all the paintings at the opening 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 to him aiding his recovery from sickness in his 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 Canada (R.S.C.).

His work now hangs in all of the most prestigious museums in Canada and around the world. 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 General Hospital in Toronto on December 4th, 2007.

Source: An unofficial Website of Norval Morrisseau


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"The longer you stand in front of any of his creations, the more you are drawn into his world. A sense of enlightenments experienced as time stands still and you are taken to a place only he could describe."

George Lépine
Assinaboine - Manitoba

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Awards

1970 Appointed a member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Art (RCAA)
1978 Order of Canada
1980 Honorary Doctorate of Laws Degree
McMaster University, Hamilton Ontario
1995 Eagle Feather from the Assembly of First Nations, Ottawa


Selected solo/group exhibitions:

1962-64 Pollock Gallery, Toronto, Ontario

1964 Red Door Gallery, Winnipeg, Manitoba

1965 Galerie Agnes Lefort, Montreal, Quebec
Images Du Folklore Indien – Norval Morrisseau, An Ojibway Artist
Hart House Gallery, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario

1966 Galerie Cartier (Co-sponsored by Pollock Gallery), Montreal, Quebec

1967 Musée du Quebec, Quebec City, Quebec
Pollock Gallery, Toronto, Ontario
La Galerie Cartier, Montreal, Quebec

1968 Art Gallery of Newport (Sponsored by Galerie Cartier), Newport, Rhode Island, USA

1969 Norval Morrisseau: Peintre indien du Grand Nord Canadien
Gallerie Saint-Paul, Saint-Paul-de-Vence, France
 

1972 Pollock Gallery, Toronto, Ontario
Retrospective

1974 Beau-xi Gallery, Toronto, Ontario
Pollock Gallery, Toronto, Ontario

1975 Shayne Gallery, Montreal, Quebec
Pollock Gallery, Toronto, Ontario
Gallery 115, Winnipeg, Manitoba

1976 Pollock Gallery Toronto, Ontario
Oakville Centennial Gairloch Galleries, Oakville, Ontario
CONTEMPORARY NATIVE ART OF CANADA - THE WOODLAND INDIANS @ Royal Ontario Museum Ethnology Department, Toronto, Ontario; Canada House Gallery, London, England and Aula LuisenSchule, Lahr, Germany

1977 The Pollock Gallery, Toronto, Ontario
Norval Morrisseau, Copper Thunderbird – Man Who Became a Thunderbird
Graphic Gallery, Vancouver, British Columbia

1978 First Canadian Place, Toronto, Ontario

1979 Pollock Gallery, Toronto, Ontario
Oakville Centennial, Gairloch Galleries, Oakville, Ontario
The Gallery Stratford, Stratford, Ontario
Cardigan-Milne Gallery, Winnipeg, Manitoba

1980 Canadian Galleries, Edmonton, Alberta
Bayard Gallery, New York, N.Y, USA

1981 Pollock Gallery, Toronto, Ontario
Anthony’s Gallery, Toronto, Ontario; Vancouver, British Columbia
Thunder Bay National Exhibition Centre and Centre for Indian Art
Thunder Bay, Ontario

1982 Robertson Gallery, Ottawa, Ontario
Norval Morrisseau
The New Man Gallery, London, Ontario
Nexus Art Gallery, Toronto, Ontario
Moore Gallery Ltd., Hamilton, Ontario
Masters Gallery, Calgary, Alberta
Scarborough Public Library, Ontario
Legacy Art Gallery, Toronto, Ontario

1983 Art Imperial Gallery, Toronto, Ontario
Native American Centre for the Living Arts, Niagara Falls, N.Y., USA
Thunder Bay National Exhibition Centre and Centre for Indian Art
Thunder Bay, Ontario Norval Morrisseau: Recent Work

1984 Ontario North Now, Ontario Place, Toronto, Ontario
Library AA Gallery, Brampton, Ontario

1985 Norman MacKenzie Art Gallery, Regina, Saskatchewan
Two Worlds

1986 Native Business Summit, Toronto, Ontario
New Beginnings
The Gallery, First Canadian Place, Toronto, Ontario
The Shaman Art of Morrisseau and Marion
Ontario North Now, Ontario Place, Toronto, Ontario
The Birch Bark Sings

1987 Gulf Canada Gallery, Alberta
Southwest Museum, Los Angeles, California
A Celebration of Contemporary Native Art

1988 Sinclair Centre, Vancouver, British Columbia

1989 The Art Emporium, Vancouver, British Columbia
Thunder Bay Art Gallery, Thunder Bay, Ontario
Woodlands: Contemporary Art of the Anishnabe

1990 Kinsman Robinson Galleries Toronto, Ontario
Norval Morrisseau: The Shaman’s Return

1991 Kinsman Robinson Galleries, Toronto, Ontario
Norval Morrisseau
Wallack Galleries, Ottawa, Ontario

1992 Kinsman Robinson Galleries, Toronto, Ontario
The Spirit Within: Early Paintings by Norval Morrisseau
Jenkins/Showler Galleries, Whiterock, British Columbia
Wallack Galleries, Ottawa, Ontario

1993 Thunder Bay Art Gallery, Thunder Bay, Ontario
Art of the Anishnabe: Works from the Permanent Collection

1994 Kinsman Robinson Galleries, Toronto, Ontario
Honouring First Nations – Norval Morrisseau
Thunder Bay Art Gallery, Thunder Bay, Ontario

1997 Kinsman Robinson Galleries, Toronto, Ontario
Norval Morrisseau: Travels to the House of Invention
Mendel Art Gallery, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Claiming Ourselves

1999 Kinsman Robinson Galleries, Toronto, Ontario
Norval Morrisseau, Bridging the Past to the Future
Norval Morrisseau: New Works on Paper

2001 Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba, Brandon, Manitoba
Norval Morrisseau: The Red Lake Years

2002 Thunder Bay Art Gallery, Thunder Bay, Ontario
Evolution: Four Decades of Work by Norval Morrisseau

2006 Steffich Fine Art, Salt Spring Island, BC
Norval Morrisseau : Pictorial Legends

2006 The National Gallery, Ottawa Canada
Norval Morrisseau, Shaman Artist


Selected collections:

Art Gallery of Hamilton, Hamilton, Ontario
Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, Ontario
Art Gallery of Windsor, Toronto, Ontario
Canada Council Art Bank, Ottawa, Ontario
Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce of Collection
Canadian Museum of Civilization, Ottawa, Ontario
Citicorp of Canada Ltd., Toronto, Ontario
City Hall Collection, Toronto, Ontario
City of Toronto Collection, Toronto, Ontario
Confederation Centre Art Gallery and Museum, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
Constellation Hotel, Toronto, Ontario
Crown Life Insurance, Toronto, Ontario
Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, Gatineau, Quebec
Dodd’s Coal Mines, South Edmonton, Alberta
Etobicoke Board of Education, Etobicoke, Ontario
Glenbow Museum, Calgary, Alberta
Government of Ontario Collection, Toronto, Ontario
Guardian Capital Group, Toronto, Ontario
Hart House Art Gallery, University of Toronto, Ontario
Humber College Collection, Toronto, Ontario
Imperial Oil of Canada, Toronto and Calgary
Laurentian University, Sudbury, Ontario
McMichael Canadian Collection, Kleinburg, Ontario
Manitoba Centennial Corporation, Winnipeg, Manitoba
Montreal Museum of Fine Art, Montreal, Quebec
Montreal Trust Company Collection
Musée du Quebec, Quebec City, Quebec
National Gallery of Canada
Noranda Mines Collection, Toronto, Ontario
Noreen Energy Resources Ltd.
Northern Telecom, Toronto, Ontario
Oakville Centennial Gallery, Oakville, Ontario
Ondaatje Corporation, Toronto, Ontario
Ontario Centennial Committee Collection
Proctor and Gamble, Toronto, Ontario
Province of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba
Robertson Art Centre, Binghampton, NY
Ross Memorial Hospital, Lindway, Ontario
Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, Ontario
Seneca College, Toronto, Ontario
Simon Fraser Gallery, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia
The Toronto Star, Toronto, Ontario
Thunder bay Art Gallery, Thunder Bay, Ontario
Winnipeg Art Gallery, Winnipeg, Manitoba


Films/Videos:

1973 The Colours of Pride
Jacobsen, Henning Productions Ltd.
National Film Board of Canada and Indian and Northern Affairs

1974 The Paradox of Norval Morrisseau
Jacobsen, Henning Productions Ltd.; Duke Redbird (Director)
Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development

1982 Spirits Speaking Through: Canadian Woodland Artists
CBC Spectrum Series

1990 Shaman Never Die
Lamothe, Arthur (Director/Producer), Atelier Audio Visuelle, Montreal
The Originals (film) Norval Morrisseau
Znaimer, Moses; Jim Hanley, City TV, Toronto, Ontario

2004 Stories from the 7th Fire “Winter”
Coyes, Greg, animation based on art of Norval Morrisseau

2005 A Separate Reality: the Life and Times of Norval Morrisseau
Carvallo, Paul (Producer), for the Life and Times Canada’s Premiere Biography Series, CBC

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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.
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Thunder Bay 2002

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Norval Morriseau had an exhibition in Thunder Bay on April 4th and 5th, 2002. The exhibition was located in Victoriaville Mall in the Creative display area /Presented paiting is from that exhibition/.
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Helping with the exhibition were his family members Christian Morrisseau (son), Eugene Morrisseau (son), Christie Kakegamic (grand-daughter), Tammy Morrisseau (grand-daughter), Kyle Morrisseau (grandson), and Joshim Kakegamic (grandson). This series of paintings also have a black print of his thumb alongside his signature.
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*The painting in this posting is an authentic work of © Norval Morrisseau

Things to ponder (Part I)

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Despite being widely recognized as the father of contemporary aboriginal art and despite the pleas of some influential people, Morrisseau did not become part of the National Gallery of Canada's collection until 2000. As early as 1972, Selwyn Dewdney, an influential anthropologist and art enthusiast who befriended Morrisseau in northern Ontario early in his career, pressed the National Gallery of Canada to buy some of the artist's work. The gallery refused.

"I made a pitch at the National Gallery for inclusion of your work in the permanent collection but encountered deaf ears, Dewdney wrote Morrisseau. "It appears that if you're of Amerindian origin the proper place for your art is a museum!"

Selwyn Dewdney - Art aducator and noted expert on Ojibway art and anthropology. Edited Norval Morrisseau's book "Legends of My People, The Great Ojibway" / Toronto, Ryerson Press, 1965/

1990 Christmas Stamp Design

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One of the many honours bestowed upon Norval Morrisseau was the request to design the annual Christmas stamp for 1990. Originally painted in 1973, the image depicts the Virgin Mary with the Christ Child and St. John the Baptist. This panting is from collection of the Indian Affairs and Northern Development, Hull, Quebec. Day of issue was October 25th, 1990.
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© 1973 Norval Morrisseau/© 1990 Canada Post Corporation