A new exhibition at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, titled "The Magical City: George Morrison’s New York," showcases the largest-ever show of works by Ojibwe abstract painter George Morrison (1919-2000). Running until 31 May 2026, the exhibition features 25 works and archival materials, highlighting Morrison's Abstract Expressionist style and the tension between his life in New York City and his roots on the Grand Portage Chippewa reservation. The show includes pieces like "The Antagonist" (1956) and "Aureate Vertical" (1958), revealing his dual experiences of urban glamour and Native displacement.
The exhibition matters because it challenges the traditional narrative of Abstract Expressionism as solely a white male movement, foregrounding Native American contributions to American Modernism. By presenting Morrison's work alongside historical Native art forms, the show raises critical questions about the debt of Abstract Expressionism to Indigenous aesthetics. It also reclaims Morrison's place among peers like Willem de Kooning and Franz Kline, while addressing themes of survival, prejudice, and cultural duality that resonate with ongoing discussions about diversity in art history.