It was Norval's plan that I protect his artistic legacy.

As Norval's long time protege, who mixed his paints and stretched his canvasses, some consideration of my eyewitness account of his production during the late 70's and early 80's must be included in the historic record. 

Many of the forged paintings are signed in black drybrush (and often dated). I painted with Norval in the 70's, 80's and 90's. I never once saw him sign the back of canvasses in black paint. From time to time he would title or sign a painting on the back with pen, pencil and even marker. I'd also like to point out that the "drybrush" look was abhorant to Norval. Instead he required just the right fluidity to his black paint because it was the colour he did "lining" with.

Furthermore, I find it absurd that Norval would paint the year on the back of these paintings. He never knew what day, month or year it was, or needed to. Prints required dates, paintings didn't. Everyone who knows Norval knew that it was like "pulling teeth" to get him to title a painting.

In my expert opinion the Norval Morrisseau paintings that display this dry brush technique on the back of the canvass were not painted by Norval Morrisseau.

In this posting I'd like to explore the signatures that appear on the backs of canvasses and compare the "M" in Morrisseau on what appear to be authentic signatures and the "M" on the black drybrush signatures that are forgeries in my opinion. The "M" painted on the back of numerous forged paintings appears to "lean into" and appears to "squeeze" the letters that follow. Authentic Norrisseau "M"'s appear to me to align at the same angle as the two "r's" and not lean in.

Here are examples of Norval Morrisseau Signatures

 that are probably authentic.

Here are examples of what appear to be forged

 Norval Morrisseau Signatures in black drybrush.

The paintings they appear on are in my expert opinion forged.

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Morrisseau donated this painting to the people of Canada at a time when he received no support to speak of from Canada. Few know that he died in poverty. And yet here is "Androgyny", exhibited in a golden room that drips with money and power. Many people say that Morrisseau was one of Canada's greatest artists. To some of us, there is no comparison. He is one of the World's great masters. Prolific, significant, dynamic, always interesting, flamboyant, tortured by love, a seeker of deep truths, weak as a kitten and strong as a bear. A profound human being who has coloured our world with insight and energy.

The last years of his life he passionately used every penny he earned to buy and store items for his "Museum" that he dreamed would one day be built in Winnipeg. "The centre of the Universe as far as Indians are concerned" he would say. He started a trust fund to make sure it would happen yet today I watch the artifacts and paintings he so desperately fought to gather for the next generations being frittered away and it breaks my heart.

Androgyny is a lesson from Morrisseau to Canada. Don't ignore your sources of inspiration even if they are dressed in rags. We are all one in Spirit.

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