Inside one of the largest art frauds in history
Norval Morrisseau is among the most iconic Indigenous artists in Canadian history. His instantly-recognizable paintings adorn the walls of institutions across the country, from art galleries to Universities and provincial legislatures. To say nothing of the art dealers and auction houses that have made millions selling his works. The only problem? A whole lot of them have turned out to be fake. Even in the world of Indigenous art, where artists have been complaining about forgery for years, the scale of the Morrisseau fraud is unprecedented. So how did authorities uncover the deception? Who's behind the fakes? And what does this say about artist's ability to protect their work? GUEST: Luc Rinaldi, writing in The Walrus
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Show Notes
Norval Morrisseau is among the most iconic Indigenous artists in Canadian history. His instantly-recognizable paintings adorn the walls of institutions across the country, from art galleries to universities and provincial legislatures. Art dealers and auction houses have made millions selling his works. The only problem? A whole lot of them have turned out to be fake.
Even in the world of Indigenous art, where artists have been complaining about forgery for years, the scale of the Morrisseau fraud is unprecedented. So how did authorities uncover the deception? Who's behind the fakes? And what does this say about artists' ability to protect their work?
GUEST: Luc Rinaldi, writing in The Walrus
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