The Early Years
Art has always been a part of culture. Pre-contact indigenous art took the form of pictographs that helped mark important sites, tell stories and share messages to those that viewed them. After contact, indigenous art forms began to change. Beading became very popular among some cultures, while the art of creating pictographs disappeared. In the 1930's and 1940's Norval Morrisseau grew up listening to his grandfather's teachings. A medicine man and knowledge keeper, Moses Potan Nanakonagos, passed his knowledge on to Morrisseau. These early teachings would go on to inspire the rest of his life and his art.
Norval Morrisseau started very simply by drawing forms of animals in the sand with a stick. Later, he turned to drawing and painting. Norval used any materials he could get. Birch bark, craft paper, charcoal, pencil and paints were common materials, especially in the early days. As he gained experience, the themes of his art became more defined. He drew the animals in his grandfather's stories. One of the unique parts about his methods was the way he drew the animals and figures. Instead of attempting to use a hyper realistic method, instead he created his art with bold lines, connective designs and what is commonly described as an x-ray view. Morrisseau also experimented with colour. Rather than using formal colour wheel pairings, Morrisseau chose colours based on the feeling he wanted to convey, the story he was telling and the subject matter.
Norval Morrisseau started very simply by drawing forms of animals in the sand with a stick. Later, he turned to drawing and painting. Norval used any materials he could get. Birch bark, craft paper, charcoal, pencil and paints were common materials, especially in the early days. As he gained experience, the themes of his art became more defined. He drew the animals in his grandfather's stories. One of the unique parts about his methods was the way he drew the animals and figures. Instead of attempting to use a hyper realistic method, instead he created his art with bold lines, connective designs and what is commonly described as an x-ray view. Morrisseau also experimented with colour. Rather than using formal colour wheel pairings, Morrisseau chose colours based on the feeling he wanted to convey, the story he was telling and the subject matter.