Moose and Calf 1994

Norval Morrisseau painted "Moose and Calf" with what looks like acrylic paint. The way the figures are outlined in black and red and filled with patterns makes me think about how he was interpreting traditional stories, or pictographs, into painting. I’m really drawn to the visual language in this work. The moose and calf are depicted with bold, simplified forms, outlined with intense red and black lines. Look at that moose's body! It's filled with shapes—circles, lines, and dots—arranged in such a way that it feels like a map or a code. It feels like Morrisseau is inviting us to look beyond the surface and into the rich inner world of these animals. The background is a flat, neutral color, which pushes the figures forward, making them feel present, almost alive. He’s doing something profound here, taking something very old—a way of seeing and telling stories—and making it new again. It's like he's showing us that the past is always with us, informing the present.