“In 2004, late in the career of the then well-established artist, the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa purchased its first Morrisseau, Observations of the Astral World, c. 1994. The astral worlds Morrisseau depicts in this large-scale work neither replace nor erase his Anishinaabe cultural vocabulary. They demonstrate a fusion. The syncretism that exists in this painting allows Morrisseau to tell stories that are meaningful to him. A flow of communication between the earthly world on the left and the spiritual worlds (shown by bands of colour) on the right illustrates the dynamics of Morrisseau’s creativity. Morrisseau felt his brightly coloured canvases emitted healing powers, and due to his adoption of Eckankar beliefs, he felt that a spiritual force radiated from his colourful palette.” — Carmen Robertson, excerpted from Norval Morrisseau: Life & Work
Art & Influence
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Norval Morrisseau, Observations of the Astral World, c. 1994
Acrylic on canvas, 236 x 514 cm, National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa