Norman Knott Norman Knott was a Native artist who was born on the Curve Lake Reserve,
just north of Peterborough, Ontario in 1945. He lived in a small quiet
community all his life and resided there with his wife and three children. The
knowledge he acquired there allowed him to create meaningful and colourful
paintings. Norman’s paintings appear to
be caught between his background myths and contemporary realistic styles. His
closeness to nature, as well as a keen eye and steady hand gave the
figures in his paintings a realist outline; his Ojibwe background adds an inner
touch of symbolism. Although his style was different, his art has put him in a
class with such renowned artists as Robert Bateman and Michael Bumas. It is
this unique style that gave him a wide range of popularity outside the
Kawartha’s, including art dealers and collectors from across Canada, United
States, Great Britain, Germany and Australia.
As well as being recognized as a successful Canadian Artist, Norman was
also known for his generosity and kindness towards colleagues and
friends. In 1992, Norman Knott donated three of his paintings to the
Echoes of a Proud Nation’s Pow Wow Committee. The committee felt that one
of the paintings, which contained a Turtle, was something special and
decided to adopt it as the official logo for its Pow Wow. Norman was both
pleased and honoured with this decision.
Norman passed away in 2003. |