“i transmit astral plane harmonies through my brushes into the physical plane. these otherworld colours are reflected in the alphabet of nature, a grammar in which the symbols are plants, animals, birds, fishes, earth and sky. i am merely a channel for the spirit to utilize, and it is needed by a spirit starved society.” - norval morrisseau born in 1931 on sandpoint reserve in northern ontario, norval morrisseau, known also by the spirit name copper thunderbird (or miskwaabik animikii), was raised by his shaman grandfather, potan, who passed down to him the ojibwe oral history and culture. self taught, morrisseau came to develop his own artistic style, known as anishnabe or medicine painting, as an expression of this ojibwe oral history and mythology. as he once said, “all my painting and drawing is really a continuation of the shaman’s scrolls.” incorporating sacred ojibwe imagry, he saw his work as ‘colour therapy’ in a world of increasing darkness.
(side note: armand garnet ruffo, himself a member of the sagamok ojibway and chapleau cree fox lake first nations - and queen’s english prof - has a new autobiography out, “norval morrisseau: man changing into thunderbird.” and it bears noting that the last photo was taken at the national art gallery in ottawa in 2006, where morrisseau was the first aboriginal artist to have a solo exhibition in the gallery’s 126 year history.)
