My art speaks and will continue to speak, transcending barriers of nationality, language and other forces that may be divisive, fortifying the greatness of the spirit that has always been the foundation of the Ojibwa people.
Interpretation
Art has the power to communicate universally, bridging divides and celebrating human spirit.
In this quote, Norval Morrisseau emphasizes the transcendent nature of art, suggesting that it communicates beyond the confines of nationality and language, fostering unity and highlighting the innate greatness of the human spirit, particularly within the context of the Ojibwa people's culture. It reflects the idea that true artistic expression can connect individuals and groups on a deeper level, reinforcing shared human experiences and emotions despite external differences.
In practice
During a speech at an arts festival to inspire young artists.
An exact poetic duplication of a man is for the poet a negation of the earth, an impossibility of being, even though his greatest desire is to speak to many men, to unite with them by means of harmonious verses about the truths of the mind or of things.
The moment of inspiration can come from memory, or language, or the imagination, or experience - anything that makes an impression forcibly enough for language to form.
I don't want to think that the stories are finite; I want to feel that they can go on forever.
The hardest song to write is a protest song, a topical song with meaning.
There have been times when I'm writing about things that are personally embarrassing. Like any human being, sometimes I can't help but wonder - 'What are the people I know going to think about this?' So I have to remind myself that all is permissible. Art has to be a free space. Language has to be a free space.
When I'm in Senegal, I can't just sit in isolation making music. People need my help. And the Senegalese people helped create my music. It comes from the country itself.
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