Cycles 

Editor: This is "Cycles," a painting by Norval Morrisseau. It looks like it is painted in acrylic and what strikes me first are the bold colours and distinct shapes that remind me a bit of stained glass. How do you approach this work, looking at it formally? Curator: Indeed, the chromatic intensity is immediately apparent. Consider the interaction of colours—the fiery reds and oranges juxtaposed with the cool blues and greens. How do these choices shape your perception of depth and space within the composition? Editor: It makes everything feel like it’s on the same plane, there isn't a sense of traditional perspective at all, pushing shapes to the foreground. Does the emphasis on line and colour over form tell us something more? Curator: Precisely. Morrisseau utilizes line to delineate forms, creating distinct visual units. The absence of shading flattens the picture plane and amplifies the symbolic weight of each element. Notice the heavy black lines which compartmentalize color, dictating the flow of our eyes throughout the painting. Would you agree that the composition reads like a series of interconnected cells, each with its own internal logic? Editor: I see that; there's a rhythmic quality created by the lines which seem to both separate and connect the shapes simultaneously, almost like musical bars that create the whole melody. That certainly enriches how I perceive the 'cycles' suggested in the title. Curator: I concur. Morrisseau’s formal strategies engender a reading of interconnectedness. Ultimately, an art critic might view this as a system of representation rather than a direct illustration, inviting the audience to decode its structure to grasp at meaning. Editor: That gives me so much to consider when looking at Indigenous art – it’s like understanding the architecture of the artwork gives clues to the culture it comes from. Curator: Precisely! Paying attention to the building blocks reveals intention. It also provides one method to understanding where, when and why something might have been constructed with care.