All Life 1994

Norval Morrisseau made this painting, All Life, with bold acrylics, and it hits you right away with its flat, graphic punch. The process here feels immediate, honest – no fussing around trying to hide the hand. Look at how the colors don't blend; they butt right up against each other, separated by firm outlines. I’m drawn to the sun-like form in the center, how it radiates outwards, anchoring the whole composition. There’s a real sense of energy here, of forces at play. The birds, rendered in blues and blacks, seem to guard the central organism. Morrisseau’s work reminds me a little of Marsden Hartley's in its symbolic use of color, but with a very different cultural vocabulary. It’s a reminder that art can be both deeply personal and a bridge to wider, more universal ideas. It embraces the kind of ambiguity that makes you think, and feel.