Norval Morrisseau (Copper Thunderbird)
Norval Morrisseau, also known as Copper Thunderbird, was a prominent Ojibway artist born on March 14, 1932, in Ontario, Canada. His upbringing by his grandparents introduced him to both Ojibway culture and Catholic teachings, creating a rich tapestry of influences that shaped his artistic vision. Morrisseau's journey began in earnest during his recovery from tuberculosis in a sanatorium, where he began to depict the Ojibway legends he had long been restricted from illustrating. Recognized for his unique style, which combined vivid colors and thematic elements from indigenous mythology, he founded the Woodland School of Art and inspired a generation of artists with what became known as "medicine art" or "legend art."
Throughout his career, Morrisseau received numerous accolades, including induction into the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts and the Order of Canada medal. His work gained international fame, celebrated for making Ojibway heritage accessible to a broader audience. Despite personal struggles, including alcoholism and health issues later in life, Morrisseau's artistic legacy endures, influencing both indigenous and non-indigenous artists worldwide. His distinctive approach and dedication to representing his culture through contemporary mediums mark him as one of Canada's most important artists, with a lasting impact on the art world. Morrisseau passed away on December 4, 2007, leaving behind a powerful artistic legacy.
Norval Morrisseau (Copper Thunderbird)
Artist
- Born: March 14, 1932
- Birthplace: Beardmore, Ontario, Canada
- Died: December 4, 2007
- Place of death: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Also known as: Copper Thunderbird
Education: Catholic residential school in Fort William; homeschooled
Significance: Aboriginal Canadian artist Norval Morrisseau, also known as Copper Thunderbird, is often referred to as the Picasso of the North. Morrisseau invented the painting genre known as Woodland style, or legend painting, a pictographic style modeled after ancient scroll and rock paintings. Morrisseau's paintings were known for their vivid depictions of the mythical figures of Canada's Ojibway people, and he became a celebrated figure within the Canadian art world.
Background
Norval Morrisseau was born on March 14, 1932, on the Sand Point Reserve near Beardmore, Ontario. He was raised by his maternal grandparents. Morrisseau's grandfather introduced his young grandson to the Ojibway myths and legends passed down by their ancestors. Morrisseau was eager to re-create these legends in drawings and on the sands of the local beach, but tradition dictated that Ojibway stories should not be related in such ways. His grandfather also acquainted him with Ojibway shamanism, a religious practice used to connect to the spirit world. Shamanism was a stark contrast to Morrisseau's grandmother's devout Catholicism. His grandmother taught him Christian doctrine alongside his grandfather's teachings. He was sent to a Christian residential school at age six. Such schools repressed native culture and language in favor of traditional European studies. Morrisseau left the school after two years and began attending a local community school.
Throughout the early 1950s, Morrisseau often visited the prehistoric rock pictographs near his home, admiring the strangeness of their designs. Morrisseau contracted tuberculosis at the age of nineteen and was sent to a sanatorium to recover. During his stay, he began producing drawings of the legends he had been forbidden to depict for so long. He eventually transitioned into painting, believing the Ojibway culture deserved a contemporary medium to be understood by the modern world. It was during this time that he earned the name Copper Thunderbird from a local medicine woman. The name was meant to give him strength in his illness. He eventually made a full recovery and went on to use the Copper Thunderbird moniker throughout his artistic career.
Life's Work
Morrisseau continued to sketch and paint throughout his twenties and thirties, often painting images that came to him in dreams and visions. He would draw or paint on whatever materials were available, such as birch bark, filter paper, and plywood scraps. Despite having no formal training, Morrisseau developed a distinctive style of painting that emulated the ancient pictographs he had grown up admiring. His early work was championed by Canadian researcher Selwyn Dewdney, whom Morrisseau had helped when he was researching the pictographs. After becoming acquainted with Toronto art gallery owner Jack Pollock in 1962, Morrisseau staged his first show at Pollock's venue. He quickly sold out all of his paintings.
Around this time, Morrisseau founded what became known as the Woodland School of Art and began teaching his technique to his aboriginal friends. The Woodland style went by a number of names. It was sometimes referred to as legend art because of its depiction of aboriginal myths. Morrisseau claimed his art was an agent of healing, and some critics began calling his style medicine art. Morrisseau's habit of painting the internal features of his two-dimensional figures also led many critics to dub it x-ray art. In 1966, Morrisseau designed a huge mural for Montreal's 1967 International and Universal Exposition, although his original design was later altered to exclude some unclothed imagery. By the end of the 1960s, critics had begun referring to Morrisseau as the Picasso of the North. He was inducted into the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts in 1970.
The 1970s proved to be a difficult time for Morrisseau. He struggled with alcoholism and was thrown in jail for drunk and disorderly conduct in 1973. His time in prison helped him overcome his alcohol problem, however, and he turned his focus back to his art. He became a devout Christian during this time, and the religion's influence was evident in the works he produced throughout the latter half of the decade. His later work blended his newfound enthusiasm for Christianity with his established respect for his people's native heritage. Morrisseau was awarded the Order of Canada medal in 1978 for his contribution to Canadian art.
The artist's work evolved over the next few decades. Morrisseau had primarily used earth-toned colors for his paintings throughout much of his early career. By the 1980s, he was using bright, vibrant colors to illustrate his artistic messages. Morrisseau's art had cultivated an international following by this point. He was invited to show his art at France's bicentennial celebration in 1989. By the late 1990s, Morrisseau's health had begun to deteriorate, greatly reducing his artistic output. Morrisseau had given up painting by the 2000s but continued to draw until 2003, when he had a stroke and was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. A retrospective of his work was exhibited at the National Gallery of Canada in 2006 and later toured across the United States. On December 4, 2007, Morrisseau died from complications due to advanced Parkinson's disease.
Impact
Morrisseau's self-taught artistic style was distinctive and utterly original, having emerged independently from European traditions. His technique encouraged aboriginal artists to understand their culture, and through this medium, better understand themselves. Morrisseau's works made the Ojibway heritage accessible to a wider audience, and his style endures in the productions of his Woodland School protégés. The artist's technique also inspired many imitators outside of Canada over the years. His more than fifty-year career gained him international fame and recognition as one of the greatest artists in Canadian history.
Personal Life
Morrisseau married Harriet Kakegamic in 1957; they met while he was recovering from tuberculosis. The pair had seven children together, five sons and two daughters.
Principal Works: Paintings
- Windigo (1963)
- Self-Portrait Devoured by Demons (1964)
- Untitled (Shaman) (1971)
- Artist in Union with Mother Earth (1972)
- The Gift (1975)
- Artist's Wife and Daughter (1975)
- Man Changing into Thunderbird (1977)
- Shaman and Disciples (1979)
- Androgyny (1983)
- Observations of the Astral World (1994)
Bibliography
Adams, James. "Morrisseau Children Reach Out-Of-Court Settlement over Artist's Estate." Globe and Mail, 26 Jan. 2012, www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/morrisseau-children-reach-out-of-court-settlement-over-artists-estate/article4202365/. Accessed 14 Feb. 2017.
Clements, Marie. "Copper Thunderbird." National Arts Centre,www.artsalive.ca/pdf/eth/activities/copper‗thunderbird‗guide.pdf. Accessed 14 Feb. 2017.
"Iconic Canadian Painter Norval Morrisseau Dies at 75." CBC, 5 Dec. 2007, www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/iconic-canadian-painter-norval-morrisseau-dies-at-75-1.648773. Accessed 14 Feb. 2017.
"Norval Morrisseau." Canadian Encyclopedia,www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/norval-morrisseau/. Accessed 14 Feb. 2017.
"Norval Morrisseau." Native Art in Canada, www.native-art-in-canada.com/norvalmorrisseau.html. Accessed 14 Feb. 2017.
"Norval (called Copper Thunderbird) Morrisseau." National Gallery of Canada, www.gallery.ca/en/see/collections/artist.php?iartistid=3864. Accessed 14 Feb. 2017.
Robertson, Carmen. "Norval Morrisseau." Art Canada Institute, www.aci-iac.ca/content/art-books/39/Art-Canada-Institute‗Norval-Morrisseau.pdf. Accessed 14 Feb. 2017.