The Hunter 1995

Norval Morrisseau, born in 1931, painted "The Hunter" with bold colors and simplified forms, a style that feels both ancient and totally modern. For me it feels like Norval is searching for something deep, something that connects artmaking with a kind of spiritual quest. Look at the way he uses color - a striking red against a cool blue, dividing the canvas right down the middle. The hunter is riding a blue deer, an animal that in the hands of Morrisseau becomes almost otherworldly. The flat planes of color, contained by thick, black outlines, make the image pop, as if it wants to leap off the canvas. It’s almost like he's channeling Matisse, but with stories and symbols pulled from his own cultural heritage. The way the story unfolds for me is this: in the end, art is a hunter, and the hunter is art. Ambiguity is where the magic happens.