WOODLAND SPIRIT

Norval Morrisseau was a Anishinaabe Aboriginal Canadian artist. He painted mystical and spiritual shapes which were inspired by ancient cultural traditions. Artnet uses the term x-ray to describe this visual mode of painting.

I know this, thanks to Phil Paine, who wrote in on Linkedin, stating that Transparent Drawing concepts reminds them:

“of the ideas behind the traditional art of the Cree people of Canada, where both the interior and exterior of people and animals are depicted simultaneously, along with stylistic conventions representing each relationship between them.”

Morrisseau founded the Woodlands School of Canadian art. Their style is also goes by the tags Medicine Painting or Legend Painting. This quote is from the website Native Art In Canada:

“This tendency to be imprecise in the definition of positive and negative space was so basic to the ancient traditions that it reflects the essence of the structures and classification systems of the culture.”

Morrisseau’s painting, titled Moose, is one example of this transparent cultural mandate of the art of the Cree. With shapes, it knowledges a simultaneous interior and exterior relationship of how it works. I started with the basic shape geometry, and then with Form Projection, I hopefully increased the knowledge of Moose into a transparent form set.

Drawing so as to approach the spirit. A blurring of foreground and background. X-ray modalities. Simultaneous interior and exterior depictions. Yes, these indeed are central to Transparent Drawing.

I have no doubt that my crude summary of Morriseau and the Woodland School is culturally inaccurate in one or more ways. For this I apologize. Still, this is significant enough to plow ahead and include another historical resonance, another heretofore unknown historical precedent. Thanks to Phil for this great window onto an inspiring cultural tradition.