| Norval Morrisseau Norval Morrisseau’s life has been one of total commitment to his calling. As visionary and artist, listening with the heart has been a way of life. |
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In The Story Teller, the Artist and His Grandfather, Morrisseau pays homage to the man who had the greatest influence on his early life, his maternal grandfather. In the painting the artist, as young boy, sits at his grandfather’s feet, listening. But it is not a passive reception of information, like a student taking notes at a lecture. It is a profound active state–a listening with the heart. The artist not only listens to what is said, more importantly he opens himself completely to the presence of his mentor. The grandfather mentor is the transmitter of meaning and understanding and the artist in his presence suspends his prejudgments and opens himself to transformation. The strength of Morrisseau’s art lies in its power to evoke in us the reality of his vision. |
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"It’s divided into two parts: the world of the white man represented by a government or corporation white man and a construction or miner white man. The Indian figure represents the older generation and the ancestors are behind him, looking backwards to the treaties they had made with the white man. He speaks about the old ways. The baby looks aggressive. It represents the younger generation, the militants who speak about what they want. The words cross the lines between the white man and the Indian. The fist is clenched. The animals are protesting the change in their environment. They are an important part of the land, the water and the Indian’s life. In the center part of the painting I show the land and its ownership." Norval Morrisseau The art of Norval Morrisseau,Lister Sinclair and Jack Pollock, Imprint Toronto; New York: Methuen, 1979, p. 134.
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The
Land (Landrights), 1976, 48" x 38",
acrylic on canvas
collection: McMicheal Canadian Art Collection, Ottawa, CA copyright Norval Morrisseau |
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