by Copper Thunderbird (aka Norval Morrisseau)
MAIN PAGE ⎔ SECTION PAGE ⎔ SITE MAP ⎔ GLOSSARY
ART OF ULLMAN’S OFFICE
CRAM’S SUPERIOR MAP ⎔ FLOCK OF LOONS ⎔ GREAT EARTH MOTHER ⎔ MYSTERIES ⎔ THEATRUM ORBIS TERRARUM ⎔ TRAPPER’S CAMP
APPEARANCE
Behind Watson when he enter’s Ullman’s office, and hanging to the left of the 2nd entrance, where Wendy runs out to the snowcat, and later when Jack runs out after Danny.
SYMBOLIC SIGNIFICANCE
This means that Thunderbird is one of the first and last artists Jack passes closely by.
In fact, all the art in the 2nd entrance also appeared in the lobby at some point, so once it’s migrated to the 2nd entrance, it shares a hallway with Log Hut on the St. Maurice. So, I would guess this was in part to heighten the “Maurice” part of “Morrisseau” (which, spoken by an anglophone, would sound like “Maurice-o”).
I wonder if this is meant to reflect badly on Watson, that there would be a painting reminiscent of a painting reflecting Hallorann’s murder right behind him as he first enters. I mean, he’s already sitting beside Trapper’s Camp, but we never see it beside him, so…
There are 11 loons in the piece, though, and 11 is a significant number in the film. Four adults and seven children. Thunderbird was part of the Indian Group of Seven, as I mentioned in the analysis of his first painting to appear. And the lobby is loaded with Group of Seven paintings.
Also, Thunderbird often painted these energy fields around his figures, to suggest their common connections, their interconnection with nature. So, the fact that we’ve got Jack near these 11 birds wrapped up in sun energy probably speaks to Jack’s soul (11) being wrapped in the arms of the Overlook. In the final 21 photos wall, Jack will be trapped in the 11th photo.
MIRRORFORM SIGNIFICANCE
First appears while Danny is escaping from the heart of the maze. And just before Ullman announces Jack as the man who got the job.
Next appears while Jack is just about to chase Danny into the maze and while Wendy on the other side is saying, “Sounds like you got the job?”
Appears finally when backward Wendy is running past it on her way to see the dead snowcat, seen directly behind forward Wendy (who just heard Hallorann say, “And seven kinds of what-have-you”), the forward team here is a second away from re-encountering Watson, Jack and Ullman, on the final leg of the tour.
Hallorann is just about to say, “You know Mrs. Torrance, you got to stay regular if you want to be happy.” In reference to the Overlook’s abundance of dried prunes. So maybe these “loons”, connecting to the “job” of killing Hallorann, is in reference to how Jack must become “loonie” in order to complete the job.
There’s two establishing shots of the hotel coming up (6 and 12 minutes from this moment) where we hear a gorgeous loon call deep in the distance, or anyway, something that sounds just like one. Actually, I just checked the other two mirrorform appearances of Flock of Loons, and they’re exactly 6 minutes apart at 5:13 and 11:13. The other painting appearance and the two calls are at 28:08, 34:13, and 40:32, respectively. Not sure what that tells us, but it is neat. And yes, there are other bird sounds heard in the film during both daytime hedge maze sequences (23:13 and 38:04).
Next art reference: Mysteries of Ullman’s Office
MAIN PAGE ⎔ SECTION PAGE ⎔ SITE MAP ⎔ GLOSSARY
OTHER MAIN PAGES FOR SHINING ANALYSIS
THE MIRRORFORM ⎔ THE BEATLES ⎔ THE RUM AND THE RED
BACKGROUND ART ⎔ OVERLOOK PHOTOGRAPHS ⎔ GOLDEN SPIRALS
PHI GRIDS ⎔ PATTERNS ⎔ VIOLENCE AND INDIGENA ⎔ ABSURDITIES
THE STORY ROOM ⎔ ANIMAL SYMBOLS ⎔ THE ANNOTATED SHINING
EYE SCREAM 