%C2%A9 Estate of George Morrison %2F Briand Morrison
Red Totem I, 1977
George Morrisonexpand_more
Stained redwood panels on plywood formexpand_more
The Robert J. Ulrich Works of Art Purchase Fundexpand_more 2012.5
On View in Gallery 375expand_more
Red Totem I is the first in a series of tall columns made by George Morrison, ranging from monumental to a size suitable for a tabletop. Morrison took the word “totem” to mean “family mark” in the Ojibwe language (anglicized from doodem), connected to family clans. The clans, based mainly on animals, are instrumental in traditional occupations, intertribal relations, and marriages—each totem represents a core branch of knowledge and responsibility essential to society. In making these tall manifestations of the importance of clans, Morrison honored a tradition among many Native nations while transforming it through his carefully honed abstract visual language. He constructed Red Totem I using pieces of stained redwood glued to a plywood core. According to Morrison, the redwood pieces were his imitation of carving “a kind of Constructivism like Mondrian and Moholy-Nagy, with straight edges and flat shapes.” The wood pieces were stained red to reference sacred earth paint.
Details
- Title
- Red Totem I
- Artist Life
- (Grand Portage Anishinaabe), 1919 - 2000
- Role
- Artist
- Dimension
- H.144-1/4 x W.15-1/4 x D.15-1/4 in.
- Accession Number
- 2012.5
- Curator Approved
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© Estate of George Morrison / Briand Morrison