the picasso of the north & some 'hideous things'

this week in outsider art also includes martin luther king jr. works by malcah zeldis, featured artwork, 'loverboy' and my deep dive into the life of norval morrisseau

Jan 21, 2024

THIS WEEK IN OUTSIDER ART

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**NORVAL MORRISSEAU** Self-Portrait Devoured by Demons (1964) // Acrylic on paper; 209.2 x 78.7 cm via *Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto*

» Read my latest piece for DailyArt Magazine: Norval Morrisseau, The Picasso of The North «

**CHELSEY PETTYJOHN** Phantastes Sphinx (Angel, Witch, Clown) (2023) // Glazed stoneware; 15 x 7.5 x 7.5” courtesy *the artist Hideous Things*

**UNKNOWN ARTIST** Suzani from Uzbekistan (mid-20th century) // Cotton embroidery with natural and chemical dyes on synthetic fabric; 43 1/2" x 46" via *Indigo Arts Gallery*

**JIM LEWIS** Jonah in the Whale (date unknown) via *Possum County Folk Art Gallery*

» free preview of this week’s B-B-Bonus This Week in Outsider Art newsletter «

**MALCAH ZELDIS** Martin Luther King (1995) // Gouache on paper; 14.5 x 11 inches via *Fort Gansevoort*

» See 10 beautiful works by Malcah Zeldis dedicated to Martin Luther King «

**STEVE ASHBY** Woman in Red Dress at Piano (ca. 1973) // Carved and painted plywood, found objects, magazine cutouts; 6 1⁄4 x 5 x 4 1⁄4 in. (15.9 x 12.7 x 10.8 cm.) via *Smithsonian American Art Museum*

**MARIA PRYMACHENKO** Ukrainian Cow with Corn (1968) // Gouache on paper; via the *Ponamarchuk Family Private Collection*

**CEREN MUFTUOGLU** Kybele figure (2019) // Earthenware and glaze; 13.75 x 9 x 13 inches via *Cavin-Morris Gallery*

**BILL TRAYLOR** Man in Blue House with Rooster (1939–1942) // Opaque watercolor and graphite pencil on board; 15 3/4 × 11 3/4in. (40 × 29.8 cm) via *Whitney Museum of American Art*

**ARTIST UNKNOWN** Hooked Rug Depicting a Dalmatian (c. 1850s, New England) // Wool, cotton, and lien; W. 54 in / H. 28 in / D. 0.75 in via *Wells & Company*

**TIMOTHY WYLLIE** The Transformation of Death: Machu Picchu, Peru (1991) // Prismacolor on paper via *New Discretions*

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FEATURED ARTIST OF THE WEEK

**WILLIAM HENNESSEY** Witch Issues (2024) // Oil on Canvas courtesy *the artist*

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WATCHING AND READING

Here are a few things I’ve been reading this past week:

Here are a few things I’ve been watching this past week:

OH WORD?

*Still image of Norval Morrisseau from The Paradox of Norval Morrisseau, directed by Duke Redbird, 1974.*

Norval Morrisseau is the ‘Picasso of The North’, Learn More on DailyArtMagazine.com

The Picasso of the North, as he was known throughout Europe; Copper Thunderbird, as he was known in the Anishinaabe region of Canada. Whatever you’d like to call him, Norval Morrisseau’s work transcended time and opened the door for contemporary Indigenous artists throughout Canada. Ultimately he became the grandfather of Indigenous contemporary art.

He never wanted to do anything but hear stories and draw. From a young age, Norval Morrisseau, born in 1931 and raised around Ontario, Canada, was different. Like most Indigenous children at the time in Canada, Morrisseau was forced to attend a residential school. Furthermore, he and his people were prohibited from practicing their traditional beliefs.

*Norval Morrisseau, Artist in Union with Mother Earth, 1972 Acrylic on canvas, 77.5 x 116.8 cm National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa*

“I’m the grandfather. Instead of being Grandma Moses, I suppose I’m Grandfather Morrisseau or something like that. And they tell me that I have opened these doors for them.” – Norval Morrisseau

Unlike most children, Morrisseau only wanted to make art. He never received any formal art training and, as tradition would have it, would spend time living with his grandparents on a reserve. It was there that he learned the traditional Indigenous stories and cultural traditions of his people from his grandfather, Moses Potan Nanakonagos, a shaman who was trained in the local spiritual tradition.

… Read the rest of the article on DailyArtMagazine.com

Rick Fleming in the gallery wearing a hot pink beanie embroidered in red with “I m a loverboy.” He is holding a bouquet of pink roses made from recycled vinyl records via *SAGE Studio*

Shout out to Rick Fleming and SAGE Studio & Gallery for their opening of LOVERBOY, Fleming’s solo show of portraits on vinyl.

FIVE YEARS AGO…

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