A Winnipeg couple has worked with the world’s largest search engine to honor one of the world’s most influential artists: Norval Morrisseau.
Google doodles are changes to the Google logo to celebrate the holidays, birthdays, and lives of famous artists, pioneers, and scientists.
Blake Angeconeb and Danielle Morrison collaborated on creating a doodle for Google Canada to celebrate Morrisseau on Indigenous National Day on June 21st.
Morrisseau, also known as Copper Thunderbird, was a renowned Bingwi painter Neyaashi Anishinaabek in northwestern Ontario. It became popular in the 1960s for its Woodland style, using bold, colorful brushstrokes.
Angeconeb, from the first nation of Lac Seoul in northwestern Ontario, is an established artist with a strong online presence. He uses the Woodland style and incorporates pop culture into his works.
“Norval’s work was the first work of art that really drew me to art,” Angeconeb said.
“There was no other artist or work of art before him that I looked at that really resonated or had an impact on me.”
Danielle Morrison and Blake Angeconeb with their three-month-old son. (Gary Solilak / CBC)
Morrison, from Anishinaabeg in Naongashiing, Northwestern Ontario, is a graphic designer, lawyer and entrepreneur. Digitized the image created by Angeconeb.
“[There are] deep tones, lots of floral, references to life and nature, “Morrison said.
“And you’ll see a bit of Norval in the real doodle because we wanted to honor him as an individual.”
Morrison said what many people don’t know is that Morrisseau was bisexual.
“Many of their values were based on seeing beyond sexuality, gender, race, religion and that life was based on interconnection,” he said.
“I think that’s a very important message that people around the world can really use … today.”
This work by Norval Morrisseau is entitled Androgyny. (State of Norval Morrisseau)
Lisa Morrisseau, the daughter of Norval Morrisseau, said when she learned that Google was interested in making a doodle: “I thought it sounded wonderful. I’m glad it’s happening.
“He has a couple of grandchildren who start painting. They love to look for videos about him. They read books, they look for pictures on the Internet.”