The Great Spirit Paintings, 1974
Drapell's tribute to Georgian Bay was also his artistic breakthrough. Masterly painted when he was 34, the inspiration came from two sources: his Georgian Bay island1 and the art of Morris Louis. In these six large works, Drapell defined his technique and propelled his art into the first rank, gradually evolving the massive (yet graceful) expression he is known for.
Pictured above, Drum Dance is the sixth work in the Great Spirit series2. In this painting, Drapell has perfected his Duchamp-influenced automatic drawing (which he finds superior to consciously willed or designed shapes). All six works had a central spreading of the glaze (to the right and to the left) using the compression technique inspired by Morris Louis' stripe pictures from 1962.
← the artist on the shore of island B-109 in 1974
1Although not a knowingly conscious source of inspiration or tribute to, Drapell did develop friendships with some of the First Nation residents of the area who would tease Joseph about B-109 being their island, their cliff, their view.
2One work, Manitou, is in the collection of the AGO, and two others (Indomitable and The Great Spirit) are held privately.