The Masterpiece 1982

Norval Morrisseau made this painting with bright colours, a busy composition, and an intuitive design. It is like a garden! The painting's surface vibrates with an almost hallucinatory energy, and the figures seem to be both part of the landscape and separate from it. Looking at this painting, I imagine Morrisseau starting with a bold orange ground, maybe feeling a kind of excitement, then intuitively laying down these strong contours of figures, plants, birds, and flowers. What do you think he was thinking about as he made this painting? I imagine Morrisseau drawing from memory, using simple shapes and forms to capture a sense of something deeply personal and spiritual. The thick outlines and flat planes of color give the painting a kind of raw, unfiltered quality. This work makes me think about the dialogue between folk traditions and the history of modern painting. Artists are in constant exchange, passing inspiration back and forth across time. Painting is embodied expression and welcomes many readings.