Jessica Wilson about Norval Morrisseau

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Jessica Wilson curator@wwoa.ca



Jessica Wilson is the curator. She’s with a Toronto company called Westerkirk Works of Art. She spent months tracking contact after contact, from company to individual, looking for Morriseau paintings.

“It’s amazing when you go from his early works to his later paintings,” she says, motioning with a nod toward the collection. “You realize that he would sometimes paint on anything that happened to be handy. For instance,” she moves to one wall, “this isn’t painted on canvas. He picked up an old cardboard poster, turned it over, and painted on that. ”

Moving further along, Wilson notes, “This painting is on brown paper. He didn’t always have canvas so he used whatever was available.”

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Source (excerpt): Cultural contacts

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Morrisseau lived in the Red Lake district for 13 years and spent much of his time depicting Ojibway legends on birchbark, plywood, mill paper, and canvas, some of which can be found in private collections of local or former area residents.

Since his death in 2007 Morrisseau’s work has become well known around Canada and now Wilson says the unique style is spreading internationally.

“We really believe he is a pioneer with a truly unique style that is inspiring a whole generation and movement of artists and it is very rare to say that,” characterized Wilson when asked why study Morriseau.

“In our own country we are learning about how his art has spread into Europe and his style. People are collecting his work all over the world. We really believe he is more important than he has been given credit for, even though the National Gallery has given him a show, I think that you can’t do enough to promote his art work.”

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Source (excerpt): Studying Norval Morrisseau: Research project begins on well-known local artist

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"Morrisseau's paintings were an escape from his difficult upbringing in a residential school and his challenges with drugs and alcohol.

They were a way to heal himself and move on with the positive aspects of life including his strong spirituality," says Wilson, who researched extensively to compile all available information into this single 108-page book*.

Each of the 42 uniquely styled, colourful paintings from the Westerkirk Works of Art private collection included in the book is analyzed within the context of Morrisseau's Native Canadian heritage."

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Source (excerpt): New Book Examines Inspirations of Canada's Most Treasured Aboriginal Painter

* - This book had never been published. Why?

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