NORVAL MORRISSEAU BLOG: July 2011

Sunday, July 31, 2011

Spiritually Inspired Jewellery by Zhaawano Giizhik (Part II)

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"Imaginative mind is like an endless sky"

Maangwago Nagamon (Song of the Loon)
~ WEDDING RINGS: 14K. white gold and sterling silver overlay wedding rings with inlay of 14K. red gold, © Zhaawano Giizhik /Click on image to Enlarge/

"As I am limited in what I can reveal about the ancient ceremonies and teachings, the challenge for me lies in creating abstract designs to represent the sacred. Studying the graphic work of the MEDICINE PAINTERS (WOODLAND ART) helps me in this process."

Zhaawano Giizhik

Saturday, July 30, 2011

"Perspectives in Aboriginal Canadian Art"

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~ Reference for Anishinaabe/Woodland Indian Art collectors

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/Click on image to Enter the Exhibition/

Gallery Gevik, located in Toronto's Yorkville, is devoted to exhibitions of established artists who represent Canadian art at its best. This exhibition is featuring artworks of the following artists: Carl Beam, Bob Boyer, Glenna Matoush, Daphne Odjig, Carl Ray, Rick Rivet, Joseph Sanchez & Angus Trudeau.

Phillip Gevik, director of Gallery Gevik, has been a driving force in the Canadian Art scene since the opening of his Don Mills gallery, Gallery Phillip, in 1976. Since its inception, he has been an avid supporter of Aboriginal Canadian Art and has assembled an outstanding collection of graphics and sculpture.

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Source: Gallery Gevik, Toronto, Ontario CANADA
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The Genius of Osho & Morrisseau (Part VIII)

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* This painting was originally published on September 12th, 2009 (click HERE)-

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"Sunshine with Owl", © c. 1980s Norval Morrisseau
/Click on image to Enlarge/

"Life is not a tragedy, it is a comedy. To be alive means to have a sense of humor."

Osho* (1931-1990)

* - one of the most provocative thinkers of our time, challenges us to understand our world and ourselves in a new and radical way. The first step toward understanding, he says, is to question and doubt all that we have been taught to believe.-
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>>> Reference posts:
- The Genius of Osho & Morrisseau (Part I),
- The Genius of Osho & Morrisseau (Part II),
- The Genius of Osho & Morrisseau (Part III),
- The Genius of Osho & Morrisseau (Part IV),
- The Genius of Osho & Morrisseau (Part V),
- The Genius of Osho & Morrisseau (Part VI) &
- The Genius of Osho & Morrisseau (Part VII).

* The acrylic and ink painting on paper in this post: "Sunshine with Owl", 30"x22", © c. 1980s Norval Morrisseau ~ PROVENANCE: Ugo Matulić a.k.a. Spirit Walker's Private Collection (Calgary, Alberta), acquired from Lattimer Gallery, Vancouver, BC; Originally purchased directly from the artist by Leona Lattimer - previous owner of Lattimer Gallery (formerly known as 'Leona Lattimer Gallery')

Norval Morrisseau Prints (Part XIII)

"Loon Communication", Serigraph (Edition of 99), © 1977 Norval Morrisseau /Click on image to Enlarge/

"He is one of the greatest painters Canada has ever produced. One day we were looking at the Group of Seven and he commented 'They paint trees, I paint loons and they connect to the sky'".

Tom Hill

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>>> Reference post:
- NORVAL MORRISSEAU UNLIMITED - Catalogue Raisonné For The Limited Editions /The Scientific Blog Project/
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Thursday, July 28, 2011

Honouring Carl Ray

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- Carl Ray (1943-1978)-

"Misshipeshu", © 1973 Carl Ray Estate
/Click on image to Enlarge/

Carl was born in 1943 on Sandy Lake Reserve into a family of acknowledged medicine men, his grandfather and his brother among them. As a youth he attended McIntosh Indian Residential School near Vermillion Bay. When he was thirteen years old his father passed away and he returned to Sandy Lake to help support his family.

In the early 1960s Carl left the reserve to work at the Cochenour-Willans Gold Mine. When the mine officials learned that he had contracted tuberculosis, he was immediately rushed by taxi to Fort William (Thunder Bay) Sanatorium. He spent a year recovering from his illness and then returned to Sandy Lake where a Catholic priest encouraged him to start painting.

Carl Ray’s life and work paralleled Morrisseau’s career. Carl depicted Cree ceremonies that continued to be practised, and Anishinaabe beliefs that continued, through legend and story-telling, to maintain a strong hold on his community. In his art he confronted his own painful struggle to heal the personal and cultural dualities that tore him apart.

Carl Ray was a friend and apprentice to Norval Morrisseau, Ojibway Shaman Artist. Together they painted the large mural for the Canadian Government representing the Native People of Canada Pavilion at Expo '67 in Montreal. Carl Ray had a unique x-ray style of painting, often showing the inner organs and energy lines inside an animal or figure. He had two main styles of art: his traditional Woodland form with the legends, iconic images of life lines and the nature of which he was so close a part; and his wildlife realism. His subjects were often shown in turmoil with the elements. To Carl life was full of conflict and redemption. Towards the end of his life his focus grew more personal and reflected his own inner turmoil.

Carl Ray was one member of a group of Native artists who formed the Professional Native Indian Artists Association, better known as the "Indian Group of Seven." Carl, along with fellow group members Daphne Odjig, Alex Janvier, Norval Morrisseau, Jackson Beardy, Joseph Sanchez and Eddy Cobiness, worked to promote Native control of Native art and to change the way the world looked at Native art, shifting the emphasis from the "Nativeness" of the art to it's artistic merits.

Carl became the first person in the history of his band to paint professionally. Carl Ray died at 35 years of age, in Sioux Lookout, Ontario in October 1978.

In his short career his works were exhibited in prestigious venues such as, the McMichael Art Gallery in Kleinberg, the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Ottawa, the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, the Canada House Art Gallery in London England and Aula Luisen Schule, Lahr in West Germany.

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Source: Text: Mr. Phil Vinet, Mayor of Red Lake, Ontario; Image: Redkettle Art & Collectibles, Victoria, BC-

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Spiritually Inspired Jewellery by Zhaawano Giizhik (Part I)

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"Imaginative mind is like an endless sky"

"Ogichidaa Gikinawaaji`owin" (Mark of the Warrior)
- sterling silver, turquoise & red coral belt buckle, © Zhaawano Giizhik
/Click on image to Enlarge/

MARK OF THE WARRIOR

Intrigued with purity of design and always looking for unusual, artistic placement of stones (which sometimes challenges the old, traditional Native feeling of symmetry in design), I designed and constructed this overlay belt buckle adorned with turquoise and red coral, the sleekness of the slightly curved silver surface resulting into a modern and minimalist design. Showing a stylized bear paw made with the aid of the shadowbox technique, the buckle is my tribute to the OGICHIDAAG, or MINISIINOOG (warriors) of yesterday and today. In southern Anishinaabe societies the claws of Makwa (bear), Bizhiw (Lynx) and Ma’iingan (wolf) stand for perseverance and guardianship, as well as for strength and courage. They are “warrior” symbols of great magic that may apply to men as well as women, even in our day.

Overlay type of jewelry, a fabulous technique originated around 1840 in Arizona by Hopi silversmiths, is produced by soldering two pieces of silver (or one piece of silver and one piece of gold) together. The top piece contains a design element (the bear paw of the bracelet) which is cut out of the metal. The bottom piece of metal is then oxidized to produce a contrasting background. Stamping, engraving or stone setting (sometimes in combination with the shadowbox technique) is sometimes done to finish the desired design. The near finished product is then filed, buffed and polished to produce an fine finish.

Of course modern day Hopi silver and goldsmiths do not limit themselves to overlay (Charles Loloma for instance hardly used it) and it is done by many Native American artists other than the Hopi. With the aid of a small line embossing tool, most Hopi artists texture the silver bottom sheet of an overlay piece to produce an additional contrasting effect (but also to camouflage any solder that the jeweller might have spilled while soldering). In order to distinguish my overlay from that of the Hopi, I like to keep the underlying, blackened silver perfectly smooth. Personally, I believe this doesn’t diminish the three-dimensional quality of my overlay jewelry one bit. However, if I feel texturing could enhance an overlay piece I’m working on, I use the technique of rocker engraving, a once popular method of decorating silver used by Eastern and Great Plains Native silversmiths - such as the Menominii, Kiowa, and Comanche. Unlike the Hopi method of indenting a bottom sheet of overlay by means of a punch, the rocking-like motion of a graver, made to follow the shape of the design, cuts out tiny slivers of metal, producing a zig-zag line which can best be compared with herringbone prints left in the snow by a skier walking uphill.

SHADOWBOX, introduced in the 1970’s by Dineh and Pueblo silversmiths from the Southwest, is a technique I also like to include in my overlay jewelry. In the Ogichidaa Gikinawaaji`owin belt buckle for instance, the deep, blackened recesses that make up the contours of the stylized bear paw are highlighted by the bezels (stone settings) that I soldered in their interior. These “shadow-boxes’’ create the illusion of “floating” bezels and at the same time accentuate the brilliant blue color of the stones…

N’mashki-akiim, n’ mashki-akiim
Aapiji-manidoowan, aapiji-manidoowan

Giinawaa, giinawind
G’minisiinoowim, g’ minisiinoowim

/“My medicine, my medicine,
Is very strong, is very strong

You, we,
Warriors you, warriors we”/

- Fragment of an old Anishinaabe warrior song

Zhaawano Giizhik

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Honouring Eddy Cobiness

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- Eddy Cobiness (1933-1996)

"Birds in the Sky", © Eddy Cobiness Estate
/Click on image to Enlarge/

GENTLE, FLOWING LINES HELPED TO DEFINE CANADIAN NATIVE ART

Eddy “Doc” Cobiness was born and raised in Warroad, Minnesota in 1933. After a career in the U.S. army in the late 1950s, where he was a Golden Glove boxer, and stint as a pulp-cutter and fisherman, he began to concentrate on painting.

Eddy Cobiness’s gentle, flowing lines helped define contemporary Canadian native art. He was a treaty Ojibway Indian and he had a large studio in Buffalo Point on the shore of the Lake of the Woods, but was forced to moved to Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1974 because of ill health. He suffered a heart attack in 1994 and had severe diabetes. In September of 1995, Cobiness slipped in his bathroom and broke his hip. Complications from surgery eventually led to his death on January 1st, 1996. Eddy Cobiness left his wife Helen of 34 years and eight children. He was buried on January 5th, 1996 near his studio in Buffalo Point, Manitoba.

Self-taught painter and graphic designer Eddy Cobiness was known for appending his treaty number '47' to most of his works. He began by illustrating realistic village scenes, then initiated a more abstract phase of work, continuing with depictions of provincial wildlife influenced by celebrated Woodland artist Benjamin Chee Chee. Cobiness worked in oil and acrylic, watercolour, pen and ink, and coloured pencil.

In 1973 seven Canadian native artists gave birth to the Professional National Indian Artists Inc. also known as the Indian Group of Seven. The Group consisted of Daphne Odjig, Carl Ray (murdered in Sioux Lookout in 1978), Jackson Beardy (died of a heart attack in 1984), Norval Morrisseau (died in 2007), Eddy Cobiness, Alex Janvier and Joseph Sanchez.

That year Jackson Beardy, Alex Janvier, and Daphne Odjig had been involved in an exhibit at the Winnipeg Art Gallery called Treaty Numbers 23, 287, 1171 a reference to the numbers given to their respective bands when treaties had been signed with the Canadian government. The show had been a success and as a follow up, the idea came to formalize a group of native artists that would spread the word about Canadian Woodland (Anishnaabe) Art Movement and to assist younger native artists.

Eddy Cobiness frequently painted stylized images of animals, and was known for being able to capture the essence of various creatures with just a few deft strokes, a style that came to be known as “the flowing art of Eddy Cobiness”.

Cobiness’s work has been collected by Queen Elizabeth II, former Prime Minister Jacques Chrétien, and actor Charlton Heston and is in the collections of the following institutions: Canadian Museum of Civilization, Hull, Québec; Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, Ottawa, Ontario; Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, Ontario; McMichael Canadian Art Collection, Kleinburg, Ontario...

Source: Text: "Winnipeg Free Press" - an article dated January 3, 1996: "Gentle, flowing lines helped to define Canadian native art" by Tony Davis /Staff Reporter/and other sources. Image: Bearclaw Gallery, Edmonton, Alberta.

For additional information about Eddy Cobiness you may visit "Wikipedia" and "Native Art In Canada" websites.--

-* The watercolour painting on paper in this post: "Birds in the Sky", 22"x30", © Eddy Cobiness Estate /Private Collection/

Sunday, July 24, 2011

The Morrisseau Time Machine (Part III)

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When: December 9, 1985;
Where: Manulife Place, Edmonton, Alberta
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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)

'Grandmaster' Morrisseau opens new art exhibition

~ Originally published in a Windspeaker /Volume: 4, Issue: 21, Year: 1986/

The grand master of contemporary Indian art, Norval Morrisseau, is making his presence felt once again in the city of Edmonton. The 2nd Annual Norval Morrisseau Art Exhibition was officially opened at Manulife Place on December 9 and offered a slightly different flavor than his exhibit one year ago.

There is a noticeable shift in much of Morrisseau's more recent works in which he seems to employ softer tones that have a more subdued effect as opposed to his bright, vibrant colors as has been customary of his past works.

Morrisseau left Alberta for almost half a year last January and returned to take up residency once more in July. His current plans are to remain in this province for at least another three years. After that, it's anybody's guess. He may remain n Alberta or he may move on elsewhere.

Unfortunately, Morrisseau's exhibition of paintings only managed to attract a maximum of 50 people because it had originally been scheduled and advertised to be held at the West Edmonton Mall. The actual location had to be changed because a contract could not be fulfilled on schedule by the mall which, apparently, had not completed some of the necessary renovations, explained Galal Helmy, owner of the EA Studios in Jasper and sponsor for the Morrisseau exhibit.

Brochures publicizing the display had been mailed out informing the public that it would be at the mall but, because it couldn't meet the needs of the art display, the venue was changed to the Manulife Building. This was most unfortunate for, as it turned out and according to this writer's sources, quite a number of people did show up at the mall only to discover that Morrisseau and his art were not there.

The opening did, however, attract some high profile people such as Native fashion designer Tim Sikyea and Canadian born actor John Vernon, who had made a special trip to the city "to show his support for Norval's artwork."

Vernon, in an address to the viewing public, mentioned that "this is all part and parcel of a family who are interested in Native art." He talked about Alberta having its share of prominent Native artists in the persons of Alex Janvier, Jane Ash Poitras and Morrisseau. "My heart is with you and I'm sure I'll be back," he told Morrisseau as he made reference to his frequent trips to Canada and Alberta lately, but "I haven't bought a condominium here," he joked.

Vernon also had kind words for Edmonton Journal writer Phyllis Matousek and for Agnes and John Bugera, whom he credits for providing him with the names of many important contacts as he prepares for an up-and-coming Canadian Native art show in Los Angeles in February.

As one of his last official duties prior to retirement on December 12, deputy minister of the environment Walter Solodzuk officially opened the exhibition. He spoke on behalf of the minister, Ken Kowalski, and stressed what an "honor and privilege" it was for him "to view the creations of one of Alberta's foremost artists."

Morrisseau extended his usual words of wit and wisdom to the audience which was impressed with his good sense of humor and his concern for the environment which is often the subject of his paintings. "I believe anyone can adapt to the environment like Gauguin did," said the artist. He, and others, were very creative individuals, Morrisseau added.

Also in attendance was Les Graff, director for the Visual Arts department of Alberta Culture.

In concluding the opening ceremonies, Dave Ward, who had served as the master of ceremonies, told the crowd, if you think just a little about harmony and nature, I'll be happy.

The exhibition of Morrisseau's paintings will be displayed and available for purchase until December 23 on the second floor at Manulife Place, 10180 - 101 Street in Edmonton. Both the Bearclaw Gallery of Edmonton and the EA Studios in Jasper handle his art on a continuing basis.

Terry Lusty

>>> Reference post:
- The Morrisseau Time Machine (Part I) &
- The Morrisseau Time Machine (Part II).
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Honouring the Great Artists of the World (Part II)

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Paul Gauguin 1848-1903 /painter/
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by Accabadora

"I believe anyone can adapt to the environment like Gauguin did."

Norval Morrisseau, 1986
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>>> Reference post:
- Honouring the Great Artists of the World (Part I).
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Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Are We All One?

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© Norval Morrisseau /Click on image to Enlarge/-

"I don't wish my work to be exploited, but to be properly used as an art form in its proper place where for the generations of the great Ojibway people it can be seen in the future, as well as be appreciated by all our white brothers."
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Norval Morrisseau
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* The acrylic painting in this post: "Title Not Known" [Medicine Moose Walk], © c. late 1980s/ early 1990s Norval Morrisseau

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Norval Morrisseau Blog on Radio-Canada.ca

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* To read an original post and all pertaining comments click HERE!

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NORVAL MORRISSEAU (1931-2007)
"We Are All One in Spirit"

/Click image on the left to Enter/

Announcement of Norval Morrisseau passing on Radio-Canada.ca. NORVAL MORRISSEAU BLOG mentioned Dec. 5th, 2007 at the above Website together with the following: National Museum of the American Indian, National Art Gallery of Canada, McMichael Canadian Art Collection and Kinsman Robinson Galleries.

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*The acrylic painting on canvas in this post: "Shaman Looking Into Spiritual Realm", 38"x30", © 1986 Norval Morrisseau /Private Collection/

Monday, July 18, 2011

Denver Art Museum Brings Artists’ Voices to the Forefront

Live Artists and Interactives on New American Indian Floor

"Untitled" , © c. 1968 Norval Morrisseau
~ Collection of Denver Art Museum; Native Arts acquisition funds
/Click on image to Enlarge/ --

Denver, Colorado - Building on the approach the Denver Art Museum (DAM) pioneered in 1925, when it became one of the first American museums to collect Native American objects as art rather than artifacts, the museum completed artist-focused renovation and total reinstallation of its American Indian art galleries.

Taking a new lens to the museum’s largest collection - and one of the world’s finest collections of American Indian art - the new presentation will shine a spotlight on individual artists, with a focus on their creations and inspirations, and on how they both reflect and shape their evolving cultures. Visitors will have an active experience with the art through hands-on activities, digital interpretives, media installations and live artmaking. Challenging long-held stereotypes about what is (and isn’t) American Indian art, DAM’s new galleries will encourage visitors to expand their definitions and expectations of this genre.

Every artwork in DAM's collection was created by an individual artist, with his or her own opinions, influences and inspirations, said Nancy Blomberg, curator of the DAM’s Native Arts collections and the leader of this project. This exciting new presentation will highlight the artist’s hand, and give visitors the opportunity to watch artists at work and evaluate their own perceptions of American Indian art.

Today, the DAM holds one of the nation’s most comprehensive collections of American Indian art, including 18,000 artworks ranging from prehistoric to contemporary, the new selection will be displayed in a 23,000-square-foot gallery on level three of the North Building. The American Indian galleries reopened to the public on January 30, 2011. The transformed galleries is hosting approximately 700 artworks, including current visitor favorites and hundreds of additional American Indian pieces never before on view at the museum.

The new galleries will create a dynamic experience around the exploration of artists and their work. Live artist talks and demonstrations, interactive technology elements, videos and hands-on activity areas immerse visitors in the artistic process and inspiration behind many pieces, and also challenge audiences to question their own ideas about American Indian art. The galleries will be divided into nine regional areas that allow focus on specific artists and art forms.

DAM's American Indian art collection is one of the best in the world, and we’re incredibly excited to be giving our visitors a new perspective on Native American art and artists, said Christoph Heinrich, Frederick and Jan Mayer Director of the DAM. The new galleries are an entire experience of American Indian art, developed to show off this beautiful collection and discover the individuals behind the artworks, and also to enable our visitors to watch living artists at work and explore their own creativity.

Among the new artworks on view will be a number of pieces commissioned or purchased for the new galleries, including: Land O Bucks, Land O Fakes, Land O Lakes by David Bradley, Chippewa; Hummingbird and Copper Dress by Dorothy Grant, Haida; Corn Blue Room by Jolene Rickard, Tuscarora; Modern Warrior Series: War Shirt #4 by Bently Spang, Cheyenne; and Mud Woman Rolls On by Roxanne Swentzell, Santa Clara.

Roxanne Swentzell will create her commissioned artwork, Mud Woman Rolls On, in public view in the American Indian galleries, continuing through August of 2011. The large, 10-foot sculpture will depict a Pueblo mother and her four children. Visitors will be able to see the work in progress and interact with the artist and her team throughout the nine-month process.

The DAM will host an array of engaging programs to highlight the renowned American Indian collections throughout 2011. For the most up-to-date information, visit www.denverartmuseum.org.

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Source: Denver Art Museum @ www.denverartmuseum.org
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* The acrylic painting on paper in this post: "Untitled" , © c. 1968 Norval Morrisseau; Collection of Denver Art Museum (DAM) - Denver, Colorado; Native Arts acquisition funds; Acquired from Bockley Gallery , Minneapolis, Minnesota; Click HERE to view this genuine Norval Morrisseau's artwork while being exhibited at Bockley Gallery prior to becoming a permanent part of Denver Art Museum's Collection.

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