The Norval Morrisseau Blog

The Blogmaster of the Norval Morrisseau Blog, who goes by the name "Spirit Walker", says that he wants to seek the truth and honor the legacy of Norval Morrisseau. Yet he continues to manipulate the truth to fit his own agenda. His posting of questionable paintings that he attributes to Morrisseau clearly shows what that agenda is. When a comment from someone does not fit the agenda, he deletes it.

Here is an example.

Disputed Certificates of Authenticity

On Saturday, February 28 2009, a painting suposedly by Morrisseau was posted along with a certificate of authenticity signed by Morrisseau. Over the following days several more paintings were posted with certificates. In these postings he slanders Coghlan Art and myself along with another gallery and   individual, saying that we have put aside Norval's legacy for financial gain.

On November 28, 2007, shortly before Norval passed away, these certificates were the subject of a posting on "Spirit Walker's" blog under the title of "Norval Morrisseau Authentic Works". Christian Morrisseau, Norval's Son and an artist himself, posted a comment about the certificates that "Spirit Walker" obtained for his paintings back in the spring of 2002 in Thunder Bay. Christian was there and witnessed the proceedings. Here is Christian Morrisseau's comment in his own words as it appeared then.

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wpe3.jpg (45854 bytes)

Good day to you
Mr Ross & spirit walker
First of all I would like to thank you for your comments
that i have just finished reading
And I wonder what just happen to Marlowe comment , What is the point of having this blog if spirit walker only posts what he wants to share with the rest of us . I my self was looking forward to a reply about mr Marlowe comment
I would like to comment of the statement by Mr Ross.
Mr Ross stated that my father was and stiil is concerned of the paintings beening sold in the secondary market
Weather it be on ebay or aution house or galleries across Canada.
In the spring of 2002 in thunderbay Ontario A fellow by the name of mr Bill Wallace came to the house with A # of painting
and asked my father to authenticate some painting for him and his partner
And for a fee My father did.
he sign papers with the paitings picture on the paper stating the the painting where his
Just after mr Bill Wallace left my ftaher called me back into the room and said to me that he has never painted or ever seen these paintings ever
So i asked him why did you sign then , he replyed well for the money !
beside did you see the joy and happness in his eye
why should i ruin his day.
And he carried on by say the importants of the secondary market
because every painting that is given to us from the grandfathers that i put on the scolls as what the public calls paintings is meant for someone out there to help them in a spirtual way in there life
Weather it be from the colours or the image or the legend
when the scoll "painting" is sold it will be resold over and over untill it finds it rightful owner The one it was intented for
After talking to my father of this I had told my fahter that mr Wallace had other he wanted to authenticate and my fahter was will to do for the money
Now it make me ask myself where was the concern that day
After Talking to Mr wallace about
the fake paintings a week later Mr Wallace came back with spirit walker
What has ever become of these painting mr spirit walker
Are you juging my fathers work based on these paintings in question
thank you
christian Morrisseau

28 November, 2007 17:59

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"Spirit Walker" has deleted this entry in a blatant move to cover up the truth and to manipulate the public perception of these questionable paintings. Blog readers have asked why he did not post these certificates sooner. He waited for more than a year to show them in hopes that the readers would not remember Christian's comments. "Spirit Walker" owns a substantial collection of these questionable pieces and has a huge financial interest in them. If anyone is trying to manipulate the secondary market of Morrisseau paintings, it is him. He does not seek the truth and does not honor the Legacy of Norval Morrisseau.

Below are 2 comments from the same posting that were made by myself and were also deleted. Because of this manipulation I do not post comments on The Norval Morrisseau blog and do not have a link to it on this web site.

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Bryant Ross said...

Hi from the Wet Coast

Bryant Ross - Coghlan Art

I have heard the same rumors that DinT speaks of. I know that during the 70s he

had many assistants, whom he refers to as apprentices. It makes sense that this

senerio could happen. I also believe that these paintings have merit. If Norval had

input then it is a mistake to label them fake. But they do have to be classified as to

what they really are and values set accordingly. There should be no question that

a painting done by the master's hand is much more valuable that one of these

questionable pieces. I also believe that Norval intentionally signed these paintings

in a way that makes them easily indentifiable.

Norval lived and worked in my studio from 1987 until 1990. Since then we have

been close friends and have maintained a working relationship that continues

today. When he worked in the studio it wasn't unusual for him to have 20

canvases spread out on the floor. He was a human dynamo painting every thing in

sight. During this time he never signed a painting on the back. He only used the

native symbolics of Copper Thunderbird on the front of the painting. He rarely

titled the paintings and this only occured when I pressed him for a title because

some client wanted one. He has never titled, dated or signed in english on the

back of any painting that I have personaly seen him do since 1987. I have

examined many older documented works by Norval and have never found one

signed in this way.

Christian - I feel a power when I read your posting.

Please read my previous posting again. I refer only to the paintings on ebay. As a

dealer of Norvals work, the secondary market is very important to me. That is

why the satus of these questionable paintings is so important to all of us. I am not

your enemy here. I invite you to work with me on this.

Thanks for the story about Norval authenticating his work. It sounds exactly like

him. I remember one time, when Norval was living in a small house on the studio

property, I sold a painting to a rather loud bousterous fellow. He wanted to meet

Norval so I took him up the hill to Norval's House. Before he could say a word

Norval cussed him out and sent him away. Later Norval told me that he didn't

think that the painting was meant for the loud fellow and that he would probably

sell it to someone else. And it would keep changing hands until it found the true

owner.

Today Norval has difficulty speaking. He has good days and bad days. He is

incapable of making speeches at the opening of his shows but he does speak to his

friends and associates. In a recent article in the Toronto Sun he told the writer a

story about a turtle and a frog crossing a bridge.

Here is a link to the article

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Features/2007/10/24/4601791-sun.html

It would seem that Mr. Anonymous (or do you have a name) is very

confrontational. Norval can not paint any more. HE NEEDS INCOME TO PAY

HIS WAY IN THIS WORLD. Monies from the sale of the giclee prints goes to

pay for the care that Norval needs as a Parkinson's patient. Beyond that our

business arrangement is none of your business.

Reconciliation can be near. Negativity will not work. We can do this if we

communicate.

Cheers Bryant

28 November, 2007 21:52

 

Bryant Ross said...

In Christian Morrisseau's above post he tells a story about Norval authenticating

some fake paintings "for the money". If some member of the A.D.A.C does the

same thing for a couple of hundred dollars, why should I believe in him. Screw

your credentials. I want to know the truth. These anonymous postings are truly

bias and are filled with mis information.

My statement about paintings after 1987 is true. You can not make it false by

simply stating it. Give me prove. Were you there? I was.

The Norval Morrisseau Heritage Society is made up of Museum and arts

intellectuals that are not involved with the sale of Norval's Work. These are

people that I do not know personally and have only meet some of them at Norval's

shows. They are not appraisers and do not place values on his work. They are

concerned only with cataloging authentic works done by Norval's hand.

Morman, Thank you for your concern. It is true that Norval Has been taken

advantage of in the past. He felt betrayed. He fled Ontario in the early 80s

because of it and begin a rocky journey to the west coast. With many stops along

the way he made to Vancouver in 1987. He had discarded everything along this

road, and found himself homeless, with nothing but the cloths on his back, living

under a bush in Gastown. He met Gabe and together they pulled themselfs off the

street. I met Norval in late 1987 when he was staying in a dorm room at UBC. It

was a small room, barely big enough for a bed. But he was painting. Beautiful

works on canvas that grabed me and changed my life. In return I have always

tried to do my best for him.

29 November, 2007 05:11

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