Morrison said, “I never played the role of being an Indian artist. I always just stated the fact that I was a painter, and I happened to be Indian.” The artist’s upbringing as a Chippewa on the North Shore of Lake Superior in Minnesota, however, undoubtedly fueled his lifelong interest in nature’s themes.

Inspired by the work of his friend Louise Nevelson, whose work is on view nearby, Morrison began creating large-scale collages, such as this one, from found objects. Here he created an imposing landscape from pieces of driftwood he collected in Cape Cod; their varying shapes and muted colors suggest the earth and sky with a horizon line running a quarter distance from the top. Each wooden piece retains its own weather-beaten appearance, indicating the effects of nature and time.