Mythologizing Norval Morrisseau: Art and the Colonial Narrative in the Canadian Media

by Carmen L. Robertson

"Mythologizing Norval Morrisseau" examines the complex identities assigned to Anishinaabe artist Norval Morrisseau. Was he an uneducated artist plagued by alcoholism and homelessness? Was Morrisseau a shaman artist who tapped a deep spiritual force? Or was he simply one of Canada’s most significant artists? Carmen L. Robertson charts both the colonial attitudes and the stereotypes directed at Morrisseau and other Indigenous artists in Canada’s national press. Robertson also examines Morrisseau’s own shaping of his image. An internationally known and award-winning artist from a remote area of northwestern Ontario, Morrisseau founded an art movement known as Woodland Art developed largely from Indigenous and personal creative elements. Still, until his retrospective exhibition at the National Gallery of Canada in 2006, many Canadians knew almost nothing about Morrisseau’s work. Using discourse analysis methods, Robertson looks at news stories, magazine articles, and film footage, ranging from Morrisseau’s first solo exhibition at Toronto’s Pollock Gallery in 1962 until his death in 2007 to examine the cultural assumptions that have framed Morrisseau.

232 pages, Paperback

Published April 8, 2016

Reviews

[Doug · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thorough and critical media analysis on the varying ways in which Morrisseau was portrayed and understood throughout his career by Canadian art critics, journalists, and society.

[Caroline Hutton · Rating 4 out of 5]

While a bit dense at times, I found this book to be well worth the bit of extra effort. Robertson’s critique of the media’s role in shaping what the public knows about Morrisseau makes it clear that we can’t trust most of what we do “know”. I appreciated being able to think about this in relation to Morrisseau in particular, and to extend that thinking to the present.

[Daniel J. Rowe · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's an interesting read but dense and seems to strive to prove a point rather than engage in a debate about how one goes about portraying an artist whether they are Indigenous or not. There is some interesting points and it does give a refreshing recasting of a complex artist.