Week 4
1. "Virgin Mary" by Norval Morrisseau (1973)
Location: Private Collection
[This piece shows an Indigenous interpretation of Mary in Morrisseau's distinctive Woodland School style]
Morrisseau's interpretation employs his characteristic X-ray style and bold color divisions to portray the Virgin Mary through an Anishinaabe cultural lens.[1] The figure is rendered in his distinctive thick black lines and vibrant colors, showing Mary with traditional Indigenous visual elements. The artist's use of compartmentalized internal organs and spirit lines reflects the Woodland School artistic tradition he pioneered, while engaging with Christian iconography.[2]
Artist Context:
Norval Morrisseau (1932-2007), also known as Copper Thunderbird (Ozaawaabiko-binesi), was born in Sand Point Reserve, Ontario. His artistic journey uniquely bridges traditional Anishinaabe spirituality and Christian themes, reflecting his complex religious background.[3][^3] Raised by his grandfather, a shaman, Morrisseau was also educated in Catholic schools, leading to an artistic vision that merged these different spiritual traditions.[4]
In the early 1960s, Morrisseau developed the Woodland School of art, characterized by heavy black outlines, bright colors, and internal details showing spiritual energy.[5] His treatment of Christian subjects, including Marian imagery, demonstrates his ability to interpret Western religious themes through Indigenous artistic and spiritual frameworks. This synthesis created new ways of understanding and depicting sacred narratives.[6]
Morrisseau's religious works are particularly significant as they represent one of the first major attempts by an Indigenous artist to engage with Christian iconography while maintaining traditional Indigenous artistic forms and spiritual understanding.[7] His work challenges the historical colonial relationship between Christianity and Indigenous peoples while creating a unique visual dialogue between these traditions.[8]
2. "The Glorious Visitation: Mary and Elizabeth" by Lucy D'Souza-Krone
Artist Location: Waldems-Esch, Germany[9]
This vibrant interpretation of the Visitation scene uniquely merges Indian cultural symbols with Christian narrative through innovative symbolic imagery. The artist creates a powerful composition where Mary and Elizabeth's figures merge to form a butterfly shape, embedding multiple layers of theological and cultural meaning. The central imagery employs specifically Indian cultural elements, such as the coconut symbol, while maintaining the profound theological significance of the Biblical encounter.
Artistic Analysis:
The composition is structured around several key symbolic elements:
The figures of Mary and Elizabeth merge to form a butterfly shape, suggesting transformation and spiritual elevation
A central embryo-like form represents both pregnancies
The coconut symbol, drawing from Indian religious traditions of temple offerings, simultaneously represents the children and prefigures their sacrificial roles
The use of yellow-orange tones to represent divine grace and light
A central sun motif referencing John 3:30: "He must increase, I must decrease"
Symbolic Integration:
D'Souza-Krone's interpretation is inspired by the Prayer with the Harp of the Spirit by Fr. Francis Acharya, which poetically describes Mary and Elizabeth as "two vines planted in the field of the Lord." She translates this metaphor into visual form, with the two women depicted in yellow-orange hues that symbolize their state of being "with child, and full of Grace and Light."[10]
The coconut symbol holds particular significance in Indian Christian contextualization. As the artist explains, the coconut, traditionally broken and offered in Indian holy places, serves here as a profound symbol of both the divine children and their future sacrificial roles. This integration of Indian religious practice with Christian narrative creates a uniquely contextual theological statement.
3. "The Visitation" by Lauren Wright Pittman
Contemporary American Artist
Part of A Sanctified Art LLC Collection
This contemporary interpretation of the Visitation focuses on the intimate, creative energy of the encounter between Mary and Elizabeth, with particular emphasis on the divine activity taking place within their wombs.[11] Wright Pittman's unique approach combines theological insight with modern artistic expression to explore the generative power of this biblical moment.
Artistic Vision:
The artist's interpretation centers on the dynamic interaction between the two pregnancies, visualizing the theological significance through creative imagery:
Mary's womb is depicted with swirling energy, representing the cosmic act of creation embodied in Christ
Elizabeth's womb radiates joy, symbolizing John the Baptist's prophetic recognition
The composition emphasizes the relationship between the two women and their unborn children[12]
4. "The Visitation” by JESUS MAFA Community (Cameroon)
Part of the New Testament interpretation series
Created through community dramatic interpretation and artistic translation
This remarkable interpretation emerges from a unique collaborative process where a Cameroonian Christian community first enacted, then photographed, and finally painted biblical scenes. The artwork represents not just an artist's individual vision but a community's collective understanding of the scriptural narrative.[13]
Artistic Analysis:
The painting captures a pivotal moment in the Visitation narrative - the instant before Mary and Elizabeth embrace. Key elements include:
The portrayal of Mary as a young African woman approaching her older cousin Elizabeth
Facial expressions conveying profound joy and mutual recognition
African cultural elements in clothing, setting, and physical features
A composition that emphasizes the relational aspect of the encounter[14]
This method embodies a truly contextual approach to Biblical interpretation, where the community doesn't just observe but actively participates in creating meaning.[15]
Liberation Context:
The interpretation connects deeply with liberation theology themes present in the Magnificat:
Recognition of God's action in empowering the oppressed
Connection to other biblical narratives of women's resistance (Jael, Judith)
Emphasis on justice in contexts of power imbalance
Reframing of Mary's role beyond traditional interpretations[16]
[1] Carmen Robertson, Norval Morrisseau: Life & Work (Art Canada Institute, 2016), 34-36.
[2] Ruth B. Phillips, "Norval Morrisseau and the Development of the Woodland School," in Native American Art in the Twentieth Century, ed. W. Jackson Rushing III (London: Routledge, 1999), 156-170.
[3] Greg A. Hill, Norval Morrisseau: Shaman Artist (Ottawa: National Gallery of Canada, 2006), 89-92.
[4] Elizabeth McLuhan and Tom Hill, Norval Morrisseau and the Emergence of the Image Makers (Toronto: Art Gallery of Ontario, 1984), 45-48.
[5] David W. Penney, North American Indian Art (London: Thames & Hudson, 2004), 234-236.
[6] Anne-Marie Ninacs, "Morrisseau's Religious Works," in Norval Morrisseau: Spiritual Landscapes (Quebec: Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec, 2012), 67-82.
[7] Gerald McMaster, "The New Art History and Native American Art," Third Text 9, no. 33 (1995): 61-69.
[8] Allan J. Ryan, The Trickster Shift: Humour and Irony in Contemporary Native Art (Vancouver: UBC Press, 1999), 124-128.
[9] D'Souza-Krone, Lucy. "The Glorious Visitation: Mary and Elizabeth." In "Blessing Words and Prayers Around Childbirth," compiled by Hanna Strack. Accessed December 20, 2024. https://www.hanna-strack.de/blessingwords-and-prayers-around-childbirth/
[10] Artist's own description from the source material.
[11] Artist's own description of the work.
[12] Wright Pittman, Lauren. Artist's statement on The Visitation, from her professional portfolio.
[13] "JESUS MAFA: A New Testament Project by the Mafa People," Documentation from the Project Archives.
[14] Jean-Claude Loba-Mkole, "Visual Exegesis among African Cultures," in Biblical Interpretation in African Perspective (Nairobi: Acton Publishers, 2012).
[15] Justin S. Ukpong, "Inculturation Hermeneutics: An African Approach to Biblical Interpretation," in The Bible in a World Context: An Experiment in Contextual Hermeneutics (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2002).
[16] Mercy Amba Oduyoye, Introducing African Women's Theology (Cleveland: Pilgrim Press, 2001).
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