NORVAL MORRISSEAU, C.M. (1931-2007) ANISHINAABE (OJIBWE)
Two Hemispheres , c. 1980
acrylic on canvas, 56 x 52 in (142.2 x 132.1 cm), framed, sight
signed, "ᐅᓴᐊ·ᐱᑯᐱᓀᓯ";
inscribed in graphite in an unknown hand, verso, "N. J.";
inscribed in red ink in an uknown hand, "1".

Provenance
Acquired January 1980 by the present Private Collection, Toronto, accompanied by a copy of the original invoice.

While the inspiration for the work is not known, Two Hemispheres can be read as a visual representation of the dualities that existed within Morrisseau. In the work, Morrisseau locates the two human figures against a background of searing red. Both men are in profile, virtually encased by birds and energy lines that unite the figures and provide a dynamic sense of rhythm to the image. With the impressive dimensions of the canvas, which is more than four by four feet, the two men take on a monumental scale and the jewel-like swaths of greens, blues, red, and orange are made especially provocative and imposing, demanding our attention to study its multitude of potential readings.

Does Two Hemispheres address the seemingly endless dialogues regarding Morrisseau’s faith? That is, is it a visual representation of the amalgam of the learned Midewiwin spiritual traditions of his grandfather and the Roman Catholic teachings of his grandmother? The figure on the left wears a Midewiwin shamanic hood so such an interpretation is certainly plausible. Likewise, the biblical implications of duality cannot be overlooked: man is composed of body and soul that exist together harmoniously, not to mention the notion of duality in concepts of good versus evil.

Alternatively, we might read the picture as representative of the spheres as they relate to Eckankar philosophy, which Morrisseau had fully embraced by the time this work was executed. Founded by Paul Twitch, this spiritual practice maintained that individuals could leave their physical body and travel on a soul journey to an astral plane.

Beyond spiritual practices, the duality of the two men may reference Morrisseau’s negotiation of cultural dualities that he faced in being an Indigenous artist operating in a euro-centric society.

With its abundance of readings and its overall destabilizing optical effects, Two Hemispheres encourages its spectators toward a helpful shift in evaluating the dualities of one’s own self.

References: For references to Morrisseau’s Shamanic and Eckankar practices, see Norval Morrisseau and Don Robinson, Norval Morrisseau: Travels to the House of Invention, (Toronto: Key Porter Books, 1997). For a comprehensive overview of Morrisseau’s work Carmen Robertson, Norval Morrisseau: His Life & Work, (Toronto: Art Canada Institute, 2016) and Greg Hill, et. al., Norval Morrisseau: Shaman Artist, (Ottawa: National Gallery of Canada, 2006). For works with a theme of Astral planes and soul travel, see Norval Morrisseau, Observations of the Astral World, c. 1994, National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa (no. 41338) and Untitled (Shaman Traveller to Other Worlds for Blessings), c. 1990. National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, (no. 41852). See also Portrait of the Artist with Spirit Self, c. 1975, reproduced in Lister Sinclair and Jack Pollock, The Art of Norval Morrisseau, (Toronto: Methuen Publications, 1979), p. 119.